Architectural Frameworks, Functions and Interfaces for Relationship Management (AFFIRM)

ABSTRACT

Uniform subject and object oriented data structure adopted in computing device to efficiently store, distribute and process data in a variety of applications. Said data structure comprised of multiple complementary subparts that together and independently facilitate communication (of inputs and outputs) through one or more defined interfaces to facilitate secure access and coordination between given individual subject(s) and other real (physical or metaphysical) entities. Methods are also disclosed that work in tandem with the data structure and interface components to enable and require a single or given human user or other individual personal subject (belonging to a secure AFFIRM network) to maintain exclusive (private) self-control over at least one virtual domain that represents themselves (their actions and their relationships).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/807,870, filed Mar. 3, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/501,802, filed Sep. 30, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No.10,579,649, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/008,979, filed Jan. 15, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,849,862, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/803,328, filed May14, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/529,757, filed Sep. 28, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 11/333,804, filed Jan. 17, 2006, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/135,613, filed May 23,2005, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety, including all references cited therein. This applicationrelates to U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/573,726, filed May 21, 2004, andU.S. Application Ser. No. 60/573,264, filed May 21, 2004, which arehereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, including allreferences cited therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The disclosed invention is in the field of using communication andinformation technology (CIT) to assist individual devices, people,groups and/or organizations in management of interaction throughnetworks. Although impacting other levels of CIT, the invention isfocused on improving the application layer of computerized networking.(See standard OSI or TCP/IP networking models) It is specificallyfocused on application software that is used to enable a human tointeract with a computer and to use the computer with this applicationsoftware to manage socioeconomic activities. Like other “applicationsoftware” the preferred embodiment of this invention in a standardcomputer works in conjunction with and/or through an operating system(OS) to control a given computing device.

The invention is applied to improve CIT “applications” that benefit fromimproved handling of structured data and enhanced interaction betweenhumans and other entities (humans, machines or other physical entities)in the environment.

2. Background Art

As society becomes more networked, it is easy to imagine many newopportunities as well as many new threats that might result. Forexample, people often assume that increased interconnectedness throughcomputer and information networks will automatically bring amazing newbenefits for humans. This is simply not true unless there is anunderstanding being transferred between the entities interconnected on anetwork. Also, as one can readily imagine after experiencingcontemporary science fiction, there are also potential threats fromintelligent machines getting out of control. Although it is now obviousthat both of these extremes are exaggerated in the short run, theopportunities and threats are both still possible in the long run. Itwill help the reader of this document to more easily understand andappreciate the uniqueness and utility of the disclosed invention tohave: 1) a realistic outlook on the opportunities and threats oftechnology, and 2) an understanding of the current abilities andlimitations of communication and information technology.

It is often assumed that application software is as advanced and wellorganized as the networking hardware technology. For example, peopleassume that as we make strides toward more interconnectedness on thehardware and basic data transport levels that we also make comparablestrides on the application level. This is not true. In fact it was thiskind of naive thinking that was a cause of the infamous “InternetBubble”. The main reason why this is not true should have been obvious.Merely being interconnected by a communication medium does notnecessarily mean that the interconnected entities will be able tocommunicate understanding and therefore benefit human enterprise.

The reason the Internet bubble eventually burst was because we did notactually have the ability to efficiently and effectively organize andcommunicate information in such a way that it would dramatically enhancethe common individual's ability to negotiate and manage their unscriptedlives. There is a need for real-time information organization andcommunication tools and methods that will help common individuals tomore productively negotiate and manage their lives and relationships.This is the main reason why AFFIRM was invented, so that commonindividuals could better benefit from the increased interconnectednessof our society. It turns out that the AFFIRM invention will also bebeneficial in many other areas than directly helping people manage theirsocioeconomic networks. Any network or part of a network that couldbenefit from better simulation, negotiation, coordination, and controlthrough improved organization and communication of information stands tobenefit from the AFFIRM invention.

To further develop and to create new and valuable services,socioeconomic entities need to be able to: Evaluate futureoptions/opportunity and past performance; communicate efficiently andeffectively; negotiate appropriate win/win agreements; transact orinteract in a safe and efficient way; integrate or synthesize mergedorganizations, applications and knowledge; and coordinate efforts ofmultiple distinct individuals or entities.

Socioeconomic individuals and groups concerned with development need totry to preserve current value by protecting existing assets while alsotrying to create value through building new assets. Current technologyis not very good at helping achieve either of these two primaryobjectives, securing existing value and creating new value. For example,current systems could be better at securing private information whileinteracting with others outside of a private entity to build new assets.Enabling both of these essential yet seemingly juxtaposed needs orbenefits for demanding customers and collaborating partners will proveto be a significant value proposition.

Previous attempts to satisfy these needs electronically have been lessthan ideal because of security limitations and impractical and costlyintegration requirements of systems from the following categories:Analytical Applications—data warehousing, decision support, performancemanagement applications often categorized and on-line analyticalprocessing (OLAP); and Collaboration Tools—office, email, instantmessaging, whiteboards, team sites, etc; Transactional Applications—ERP,accounting, inventory management, purchasing, sales, etc., oftenreferred to as on-line transactional processing (OLTP).

Given these present limits, these systems are unable to provide theabove mentioned value creation capabilities in a practical way.

The present invention both integrates the other systems mentioned in amore practical way with a common uniform intermediary data store, butalso provides some of the benefits of these other applications and more,in and of itself.

Most of today's Web servers are merely haphazard additions to acompany's information technology infrastructure. Therefore, mostInternet information remains separate from the many other systems withina company. Collaborative applications are comprised of several differentpoint solutions that are not even normally considered to be part of thetransactional and analytical application landscape or “silos”. In fact,this absence of integration is also true of most company's internaltransactional, decision support and/or data warehouse systems. Frankly,it is an embarrassing situation for the designers of today's systems.The analytical systems are separate from the Transactional (EnterpriseResource Planning) systems that manage the internal resources of mostcompanies today. This prevailing situation was acceptable when onlinebusiness was in its early stages and businesses were not required to beproactive, but now, as e-business is advancing into a more collaborativeknowledge-based commerce stage, this integration problem is a majordetriment to further growth and development. Therefore, the status quowill become unacceptable, and the companies that break away from thesesevere limitations will enjoy huge gains in competitive position.

It is as if the users of these different applications are expected toalways be operating in isolation, not needing to communicate,participate in negotiations, or other value creation activities withusers of the other applications. But the days of the lone analyst in theivory tower are over. Today's managers in broad and deep positions inlearning organizations need to be able to do it all. They need webaccess to integrated tools that can analyze, collaborate, transact andthen analyze again all in one reoccurring seamlessly integrated learningcycle.

Managers need to be able to bring all the different existing pieces of asolution together and to share data between them, from one central datarepository and/or common uniform structure when appropriate. To have anunderstanding of oneself, ones environment and ones role within theenvironment, one needs to be networked into the fluid flow ofinformation on the “business application” level between transactionalsystems, analytical systems and communication systems. At this time,satisfactory solutions do not exist for this challenging problem.Basically experiential (transactional) data from multiple disparate anddistributed sources needs to fluidly inform analysis, which then needsto fluidly inform all related future planning and implementationdecision-making (transactions) in real-time. Present limitations of thedifferent (usually separate) CIT business application systems operatingin this organizational learning cycle are explained below. How thepresent invention overcomes these limitations is inferred below, andfurther explained in the following Description of the Invention section.

Today's “computerized application programs” do not efficiently andeffectively structure data about an individual's behavior andever-changing status vis-à-vis their environment. In most cases whereindividuals are represented in today's “computerized applicationprograms”, they are represented within large business applicationprograms as one of many individuals in a common database “Table” orfile. Some structured database application programs, such as accountingsystems, enable “individual entities” to represent some aspect ofthemselves, e.g. their financial situation. But unfortunately theseprograms record data of specific types in specific pre-defined database“Tables”. Therefore, these programs are not good at handling anend-user's evolving data type requirements for previously unspecifiedprocesses or situations.

Since database application programs, e.g. accounting systems, arestructured to handle only specific numbers and/or types of data “Tables”and/or “Fields”, they are not able to productively communicate withother application programs designed to handle different types of data.Therefore, different systems handling different types of data do noteffectively and/or directly interact with each other. As a result thesingle company or industry wide hub, with data organized in specificallytyped and defined data tables and fields are still the standard methodfor trying to handle coordinated data exchange.

Because of the difficulty in current disparate systems interacting, mostbusiness expenditures in information technology are for training and/orintegration of different systems, rather than for the acquisition of newsystems. This is also why there is great effort being applied byindustry groups to try to negotiate agreement on how to define thedifferent specific types of data that will be handled in different typesof application programs. The hope is that these efforts will enable theadoption of common standard data type definitions so disparate systemsrelying on structured data will then be able to communicate with eachother. There are many attempts to use XML by different disciplines andindustry consortiums. Current standard markup languages require thosesharing data directly, i.e. not through intermediary transformers thatlimit real-time communication, to have a common specific yetcomprehensive schema, i.e. data type and hierarchy definition. Theproblem with this is that industry groups can't agree on standard orcommon schemas that define everyone's needs. To get organizations inmultiple industries to agree on standards, so that better convergencecould be achieved, would be even more challenging. Therefore, fluidlycommunicating structured data between organizations and their serverscontinues to be a major problem.

Another different problem is that it is difficult to manage the securityof structured data in today's application programs or services. It isvery difficult to keep information private once it is placed on anetworked system. When a database, e.g. a medical records database, hasprivate information about a particular individual, e.g. a patient, intoday's systems, the information is usually commingled with informationabout other individuals of the same type, e.g. other patients. As aresult, an individual's private data is inherently accessible bymultiple users of these systems. “Third parties” with security rights toaccess that “level” or “Table” of data, are going to be able to accessprivate records, whether they have any reason to interact with thatparticular individual's private information or not. This is a majorsecurity hole that many organizations are required to plug, e.g. becauseof new HIPAA laws, but are currently still looking for ways to do so.

If one of today's systems is set-up to only allow certain individuals toaccess certain specific information on a network, then there needs to beone or more other designated “third party” security agents generallyauthorized and spending significant time and effort to specify andmaintain specific individual access rights. In large networks this canbe a huge expense. Just the fact that private information for more thatone individual is store in a common place makes the informationvulnerable to access by unintended parties.

As a result of these limitations and difficulties with currentinformation technology, an individual (i.e. individual person, group,organization or other entity) still does not have access to costeffective and secure computerized services that effectively guide,coordinate and assist in the management of common yet ever changingprocesses. Individuals would benefit greatly from individualized andsecure computerized services that help manage their unscriptedrelationships and processes without requiring: private information ofmultiple individuals to be combined in one place; “Third party” datasecurity providers and/or users to access private information; differentdata structures and/or programs for different applications; agreement ona common data dictionary or type definition by interacting parties; and“Application programs” to be reprogrammed when data type definitionschange.

The following invention overcomes these present day system requirementsand will enable collaborating individuals to work more fluidly andinnovatively together with less fear and limitation.

In addition to having too many of these above mentioned unnecessary andcostly requirements with today's systems there are also some potentiallyvaluable things that current systems, no matter how expensive they are,cannot do. Social scientists have shown that each “individual entity”(whether a individual person, group or larger organization) has adifferent perspective on shared knowledge and relationships. But mostinformation systems today require those that communicate sharedknowledge and information to agree to one way of describing theirknowledge. Unfortunately this is not possible when different groups indifferent domains are used to naturally building their own vocabularies.This makes it difficult for different groups using differentvocabularies to communicate or collaborate. e.g. nano, bio, info andcogno scientists all have different words for what they call theconnections between the components of their structures. As the examinerof this patent application, you are involved in a perfect example ofthis. It must be very difficult to thoroughly research all the differentpatents that might be related to a new patent application, given thiscommon tendency of different individuals from different or even relateddomains using different words to describe the same thing.

One who is practiced in the art of computer programming and is familiarwith existing methods knows that both procedural and object orientedprogramming methods normally dictate that business process applicationprograms be designed to use and only work with specific types of data orobjects. Current art in the computer science field prescribes that the“programmer”, in the traditional sense of a person who writesinstruction code in a “programming language” to be compiled orinterpreted at runtime, must define the specific type of “objects” thatan “application program” is able to process. This can be seen in howdata modelers define database “Tables” with specific record fieldsand/or similarly how business process modelers define “Classes” for aparticular type of “Object”. The current programming paradigm, taught incontemporary computer science classes, suggest that “Tables or “Classes”for a database and/or program be defined to directly correlate with“real objects in the real world”. For example in a healthcareapplication you would have a record for each patient in a database tablespecifically structured to hold the specific type of information that astandards body decided was appropriate and necessary. One can refer toany present day computer software programming literature for more oncontemporary programming methods. Again, like database “Tables”, eachapplication program designed to handle structured data is written by a“programmer” or “program generator” to handle certain types of data orobjects for specific types of situations.

As a result of this standard programming paradigm, specific “Tables or“Classes” only handling specific types of data or objects, if anend-user wants an existing application to handle a new and differenttype of data or object, they will find that it won't work. They arestuck or rendered helpless unless they find a different program tohandle their new type of data or object or they need to expend effort“programming” their own application program that will most likely notinteroperate with the other existing programs. Wouldn't it be nice ifone program was available that could handle any type of data or objectand enable non-coders to “program” ?

Since these capabilities have not previously existed, the coordinateddevelopment of “business process applications” that supportedcollaborative interaction and evolved in real-time could not be createdand/or not be programmed by normal businesspeople or “end-users”.

In addition to the application development issues and other limitationswith current information technology and architectures mentioned abovethere are other problems that the present invention is designed toresolve. There have traditionally been two separate branches ofstructured database business computing applications. Both were inheritedfrom the mainframe world of computing, online analytical processing(OLAP) and online transaction processing (OLTP). Because of theirdrastically different requirements, they usually must be run usingseparate systems. This causes problems trying to get data from thetransactional systems, usually the source applications, to analyticalsystems. Because of the extraction, transformation and load (ETL)procedures that are usually necessary before data gets to analyticalsystems, there is normally a time delay that prevents real-time dataanalysis. Another problem resulting from the fact that OLTP and OLAPsystems are usually separate “islands” or “silos” that don't integratevery well is that this makes it difficult for an organizations learningloop to be a complete and fluid circuit. Ideally analysis wouldimmediately effect transactions, which would immediately impactanalysis, which would then again impact transactions and so on in acontinuous real-time loop. Unfortunately, because of the disjointednessof these two types of systems, they do not effectively supportorganizational learning.

OLTP and OLAP have some other problems in common and some that areunique to each. Both usually attempt to support seemingly unlimitedmulti-user demand from limited centralized servers. As a result, usersof both types of systems can suffer from slow response times. Thereforewe need better ways to distribute data and processing across multiplecomputers. But unfortunately current OLTP technology used for managinginventory, financial accounts and other important resources are not goodat coordinating interaction between multiple parties and resourceswithout bringing the data for these together in one common centrallocation. Again this causes information systems to have inherentsecurity and performance problems.

OLTP systems that involve more multi-user writing of data than OLAPsystems also suffer from other difficulties. Since multi-usertransactional database application programs normally enable editing ofcommon structured data, they need sophisticated ways of locking aspecific piece of information while someone is editing it. Locking isrequired while one user is editing something, so that someone else won'tedit the same thing at the same time and overwrite the other user'schanges.

Also, when computer servers are connected directly or indirectly to anetwork and allow access by the public or unknown users, e.g. email andweb servers, they are subject to the possibility that these unknownusers will purposely or un-purposely use too many resources from theserver. In extreme cases, this causes what is commonly called a “denialof service attack”. It would be better if these servers could not beaccessed by unknown parties, but given the way email and other serverswork, this is unpractical.

There are several things that an operating system is not intended to do.An operating system is software focused on assisting applicationsoftware in operating the hardware of a single computer.

When a given software program is running on a given computer this isthought to be a separate instance of the software, usually requiring aseparate license for use. Software that provides access to or assists incontrol of another computer, e.g. a “client user interface to anotherserver or computer” should not be considered to be part of an operatingsystem. Otherwise one could imagine that as a result of thepervasiveness of the Internet, the software on all computers couldeventually all be part of one massive operating system with the abilityto control the whole network. This could cause abuse of power and/orsubject the network to severe vulnerability. To prevent these potentialproblems this invention distributes control across the network to eachindividual. A separate instance of an operating system running on aseparate distinct computer used to provide control of one or moreprocessors of that separate computer is normally considered to be aseparate instance of the operating system running another computer.Therefore, software that accesses or controls another server or peercomputer is considered to be an application as opposed to an operatingsystem. For security reasons operating systems are not supposed to allowtheir users to work with file systems on other computers on a networkfrom a web browser.

Also someone cannot use an operating system to for example, organize aknowledge base in different files. This is what would normally beconsidered a business “application”. These types of functions and mostof the other things that this invention does that are unique would notnormally be considered to be part of an operating system. The aspects ofthe present invention are normally part of what would be consideredbusiness management application software. This category of softwareincludes all types of business application software such as inventorymanagement, accounting, scheduling, desktop productivity, email, instantmessaging, group collaboration, data warehousing or business analytics,contact management and much more. These types of “application” softwaretraditionally run on top of the operating system of a computer.

It is imperative for the vibrancy and continued innovation of thisindustry that the operating system layers and the business managementsystems layers of the software industry be kept separate. It would beparticularly stunting of progress toward systems that enable computersto improve the quality of life and productivity of humans, if there wasonly one company that could compete in the market for businessapplications. Unless of course you believe that an operating systemshould be able to include anything and everything and that it doesn'tmatter if one software company controls the whole industry, you need tounderstand that operating systems are supposed to control ONE computer'shardware and must keep track of state information about that onecomputer and the application software in the process of using it.Software that can assist in the control more than one computer and keeptrack of the state of more than the one computer being “operated”,should not be considered part of the operating system. These functionsshould be part of an application that is designed to work on or throughmany different operating systems.

Networked Directory systems and XML systems are like databases in thatthey require third party control of security and upfront agreement onthe type of data being structured.

Email systems use a more highly evolved style of network communicationcalled “all channel”. (See FIG. 16) This enables the member of a networkto increase their satisfaction over the traditional “chain of command”type networks and “Hub and Spoke” networks. But unfortunately “allchannel” networks make it difficult for leaders to emerge and current“all channel” communication technologies do not support storage andcommunication of structured data as is needed to support in-lineanalysis, transactions and synthesis between entities.

Email systems are also prone to viruses and other attacks. Another “allchannel” communication technology called instant messaging is designedfor users to be synchronously (at the same time) connected, and is alsonot designed for storing and communicating structured data. Again,current “all channel” systems are either requiring fixed formats or datatype definitions, like EDI, or are like email and instant messaging andare not designed to handle structured data. Current databases andspreadsheets handle structured data, but do not handle the ability toflexibly coordinate the integration or synthesis of the structured databetween disparate hubs.

Application servers traditionally require “programmers” to code businesslogic using standard languages and require, with the OS, non-persistentsession and state management information to manage multi-user activity.

File sharing programs are currently (often illegally) used to distributedigital content. These distribution systems, especially the peer-to-peertype, are not able to efficiently and effectively prevent unauthorizedcopying and distribution of this digitally recorded content. Contentstreaming and centralized document management can alleviate these abusesin a centralized company, but not in a situation where distributed peersare cooperating in the process of sharing information about documentsand content. Since peer-to-peer sharing of information among fans andother interested parties is only natural, we need peer-to-peer systemsthat prevent these abuses of copyright law.

All together these above problems and limitations of current CIT enablethieves to steal ones identity and digital assets in cyberspace andcause major problems for the individual victim. It is one of the fastestgrowing crimes, and needs to be stopped. The present invention willprevent this crime.

Also, normal humans somehow have the ability to use good judgment,especially those that are involved in a particular business process on adaily basis. Computers on the other hand, and their “programmers” thatare not usually experienced or trained as business persons, are notusually as good at judging what would be the right thing to do at aparticular time. Therefore, there must usually be a two-step developmentprocess where a businessperson specifies a “business process applicationprogram” and a programmer programs it. Unfortunately, there almostalways seems to be something lost in translation. Computers just do whatthey are specifically told to do, and at this point in time it is stilltoo difficult to tell computers what to do. Also, eventually computerswill be capable of doing more than they are told such as makerecommendations for future actions of either themselves or others.People will need ways to securely and cost effectively control andbenefit from those enhanced computing capabilities.

Therefore, we need simple ways for end-users to be able to not only telltheir computers what to do, but also receive novel recommendation fromthe computer. When computers are sophisticated enough to take novelactions themselves, it will be important to make sure a responsibleperson approves of the actions. Most efforts at this time are beingplaced on allowing business people or “power users” to be able tographically layout a specific user interface and/or business process andthen have a code generator actually “write” the instruction codes thatare then compiled or interpreted to run as an “application program”.Even this newer method requires a two-step process where “businessapplication programs”, including interfaces, e.g. graphical userinterfaces, data structures, e.g. tables, and/or processing algorithms,e.g. software programs, need to be defined and written for specificbusiness processes and object types. This does not ideally supportdynamic situations where business users need real-time transactional andanalytical processing systems that can easily adapt to user needs,communicate and share structured data with users and systems withdifferent data type definitions.

Also, for some time now, we have dreamed of computers that would be ableto reason like humans with constantly changing information about theenvironment and able to make judgments across a wide variety of fieldsbased on that data. One reason we don't have computers that are able todo these things very well is because computers are not currently capableof being conscious or understanding of the intimate details aboutrelationships between entities.

Have you seen a machine or computer program capable of effectivelylearning and managing all the different aspects of multifacetedrelationships? Have you seen CIT able to keep track of and communicateinformation about a relationship from the different perspectives of you,me and we (ourselves and others)? Up to this point it hasn't been donevery well. And this is one reason why CIT systems are not as good atassisting in the management of relationships as they could be. Ifcomputers were good at this sort of thing in general they could be usedto more readily manage more aspects of our lives and our relationships.Just imagine what kinds of services a computer could provide if it wereable to more intimately know about you, about all your potentialpartners, and about the value of things you might do together with thesepotential partners. For example, would we be able to negotiate ourfuture plans and then have the computer know enough to then manage thoseplans in a semi-automatic way? Are current computers aware of what youand your partners have to contribute to achieve future plans? Are theyable to seek options, consider the potential value of options andrecommend plans that make the most sense given your strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and threats? If computers could do this, theycould be relied on to serve people in much more productive ways.

If all of the above problems were solved and possibilities achieved, wewould have secure and reliable individualized or customized servicescontinuously available that provide: automatic evaluation, budgeting andrecord keeping; automatic intelligent order giving and taking; automaticresearch, evaluation and development; coordinated interaction thatmanages optimum value creation; continually reprioritized andautomatically rescheduled To Do lists; automated opportunity recognitionand recommendations for each individual; and/or identification ofpotential partners for an individual for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Architectural Frameworks Functions and Interfaces for RelationshipManagement (AFFIRM)—that which is disclosed (uniquely identified,described and referred to) in this and related documents, an embodimentor implementation of that which is disclosed, and/or an instance of animplementation of that which is disclosed, whether in whole or in partand whether in preferred embodiment form or otherwise. An instance ofAFFIRM exists whenever an object exists as a subject in animplementation of that which is disclosed, i.e. an existing subject isactually represented in and by (not only by or only in) one of thedisclosed frameworks, functions, interfaces, structures, models,schemas, containers, links, messages, processes, etc. The instance isoften accessed or linked to through an AFFIRM interface, but can bethrough some other sort of interface that might in some way transformsone or more non-AFFIRM object(s) to or from an AFFIRM instance where theobject(s) exist(s) as AFFIRM subject(s).

AFFIRM Network—an instance of AFFIRM that represents the context,environment, meta-system, milieu, etc. within which other AFFIRMinstances, e.g. AFFIRM Domains, exist.

Subject—(first as commonly used in the philosophical and logical sense)an entity apart from its attributes or characteristics and (also ascommonly used in the literary sense) that about which “something” issaid or referred. Subjects are often seen as systems, which could besaid about the way AFFIRM treats subjects. In AFFIRM that “something” or“system” can be considered both as a (stand alone) object, that includesbut is not limited to (that Subject) itself but also representations ofthe other AFFIRM Subjects with which it interacts. Within AFFIRM theconcept of Subject more specifically means that existing and evolvingobject with individual essence which is the (current yet oftendynamically changing) central or main focus of a given instance ofAFFIRM. An AFFIRM Domain is an example of a place or object thatactually represents (and/or is in a virtual sense) the existence of aSubject in and of itself, but also as part of the AFFIRM Network(s) inwhich it resides, where the different aspects or characteristics of anAFFIRM Subject persist simultaneously for a given Subject. An AFFIRMNetwork is an example of a network space (and/or in the preferredembodiment of AFFIRM actually located in the memory of a computingsystem) where the different common aspects or characteristics of AFFIRMSubjects persist simultaneously for all AFFIRM (Domains of) Subjectsthat are existing members of that AFFIRM Network.

Object—an entity or set of entities (including but not limited to a datapoint, event, type, instance, person, place, thing, etc.), whetherphysical or something else, e.g. abstract. In AFFIRM an object existswith respect to at least one Subject (which may be itself). In this wayan object is located in a domain governing the meaning of the HomeSubject and/or governed by the Home Subject, e.g. person. An object inAFFIRM is a given instance of AFFIRM that normally persists in someform, at least in an archive of past events, e.g. as a result of havingbeen input, stored, referenced, represented, interfaced, messaged,linked, related, manipulated, processed, accessed, instantiated,created, addressed, handled, etc., in an AFFIRM Domain of an AFFIRMNetwork, Therefore an AFFIRM Object is that which is in process orrelation relative to one or more given (persistent) AFFIRM Subject(s).Therefore an AFFIRM Object is something that is represented inside of aSubject, including the Subject itself, but is perceived or considered asapart from that Subject.

Domain—may refer to that which makes up a field of knowledge, but in theparticular context of AFFIRM more generally refers to that which is anidentifiable set of data (including information, knowledge, etc.) abouta given Subject and objects that in someway relate to that Subject,regardless of medium where the data is stored or located, e.g. bits,atoms, genes, etc.) structured in the form described in this disclosure.An AFFIRM Domain represents and persistently stores information asobjects with certain recorded states. A Domain can be used to regulateand/or be governed by its Home Subject. The data is able to beintermittently accessed any time by a Home Subject. A Domain ideallyincludes data about all that is known to comprise (as a totality, bothqualitatively and quantitatively) a given Home Subject, including dataabout Object(s) that are part(s) of the Subject and/or class(es) towhich the Subject belongs. Individual Subject (IS)—a uniquelyidentifiable entity with individual essence, e.g. a product, person,actor. Personal Subject (PS)—is a more specific reference to a uniquelyidentifiable Individual Subject (IS) that is a legal person and presumedto be a creative being and/or (hopefully conscientious) actor. TheAFFIRM default is for a PS to have a private personal domain (PD). Thereis a process to insure registration, ownership and licensing of Conceptsand/or Types or at least those that creators wish to protect.

Domain—a separate data store (usually a partition of data at a locationon a computer or network) used to represent a given Subject in thestructure prescribed in this disclosure. AFFIRM Domain is usually thephrase used to refer to any kind of AFFIRM Domain, but sometimesPersonal Domain (PD) is also loosely used to refer to any kind of AFFIRMDomain since it is a type of all inclusive Domain through which a givenuser can access data from or representing any other kind of AFFIRMDomain or network. Personal Domain (PD) (also elsewhere called a valueweb or value web hub)—an AFFIRM Domain that is under the exclusivecontrol of a Personal Subject (PS) (or legal person).

Home Subject (HS)—Subject that is the central focus of a given AFFIRMDomain, e.g. Individual Subject (IS) of an ID, PS of a PD. In the latercase of a PD the HS (PS) is inherently the owner and defacto controllerof a given Personal Domain (PD) under discussion. IS's may have otherowners. An IS is defined/impacted, and its respective ID modifiedaccordingly, as a result of or through interaction (passing of IOOs) ofinteracting (involved or related) objects/parties (e.g. one or more S,IS, PS, CS, TS, more commonly referred to as owners, makers, users,observers, etc. of the given IS) and their respective (subjective)domains that may dynamically change over time. An example would be a PSwho is an end-user that has right to access and consume (use) as well asthe responsibility to care for the IS, but may or may not have ownershipof the given IS, e.g. a given Dog's caretaker.

Home Domain (HD)—the virtual representation of a given AFFIRM Subject.e.g. a Personal Domain representing and under the control of a givenHome Personal Subject (PS) Main (Home) Domain (MHD)—the one main homedomain of a given IS. Everyone who is a member of a secure AFFIRMnetwork must have one of these.

Input/Output Object (IOO)—a uniform basic data unit in AFFIRM, usuallyin the form of a record, packet, string, or message that represents anobject (e.g. its state relative to the sending and/or receiving Subject)or an action (e.g. a potential or actual change or state) involving thatobject. This is also referred to as an UBDU. One of the unique aspectsof AFFIRM is that this IOO or data record has the same format for allobjects in all aspects (data store, data process, or data interface) ofan instance of an AFFIRM embodiment/implementation.

Prospective Interaction Partnership (PIP)—potential bi-directionallink(s) between PD's, initiated by one of the potential partners andpending required approval or affirmation by the other. The IS orcontroller of a domain may send a request for partnership directly to aprospective partner domain for which the address and other linkinformation is known. At this point a PIP is established. It would thenbe up to the potential partner receiving the invitation or proposal tothen affirm or approve the PIP and make it an actual partnership. A PIPcan be initiated from either side of a PIP, i.e. from either of the twodomains, (or a common partner) as long as the initiating PD or IS knowsthe domain address and other access information of the desired partner.This partnership information would not normally be available unless itwas provided by the prospect through some explicit means. Also, thisinformation may or may not include the identity of the IS or controllerof the domain. In such a case this would be an anonymous prospectivepartner. Usually the PIP has either sent a proposal for partnership toor has received a proposal from the PS/IS under discussion.

Partner—a home subject HS of an AFFIRM domain that is directly relatedor interlinked (as a sub, peer and/or supra domain) to the Home Domainof a given AFFIRM Subject. A given subject and its respective domain hasthe option of communicating (e.g. send/receive IOO's or structuredmessages) with a Partner subject and/or domain. In AFFIRM a givenSubject is a partner of itself and its parent(s) (ancestors), originand/or source by default, which should (ideally unless this subject isthe first using AFFIRM) also have Home Domain(s) where it is the HomeSubject.

Input Output Definition Object (IODO) is an IOO representing a Conceptor measure.

Concept—a meaningful description of a class of reality (the Use of whichcan be a measure). In AFFIRM a new Concept must be created by a PS andis represented as a whole (W—see below). A given Concept is consideredan idea in its most abstract form. As it is actually emerging or beingactualized or implemented, it is normally within the framework of agroup (We) domain with partners involved in implementing the concept.(See GAIA Re-DESIGN Example Application) A specific Concept can berepresented and passed around as a Type (a representation of one or moreXs) and in this way its use can be used, monitored and evaluated for itsmerit, worth and significance.

Concept Domain (CD) is a Domain or data location used to persistentlystore information, such as words or symbols and other associated datafound in an IOO, about or related to a particular Concept. There is anIOTO (see below) or set of object(s) for every Concept usage context.This usage context is established in a CD as users use a Concept (as anobject) in their PD's. A CD is created when the Concept is conceived ofor registered for the first time in an AFFIRM network, and a CD getslinked to and used (as well as updated) whenever another Domain uses theConcept.

Type—any meaningful representation of a part of reality. In thePreferred Embodiment of AFFIRM, Type is whole subject in its domain, butis only capable of being a component, part or process (set of Xs) in itsuse as an object in other domains. Although this preferred design choicecould be different and still be an implementation of AFFIRM, thisregulation assists AFFIRM users that create products or other artifacts,such that they can be better tracked and monitored from the W wholedomains that create them. In this way there will be a prevention of thekind of insecurity that may exist when Types are able to be instantiatedas wholes (Ws outside of themselves) without any way to monitor theirunlicensed use. Not having such a regulation would enable replicationwithout integrity and/or responsibility. This is allowed in concepts, asa concept is a whole and capable of replicating (while maintaining apermanent interconnection without requiring Partnership).

Type Domain (TD)—domain that may optionally be used to persistentlystore information about a Type. It is usually comprised of data found inan IOO, about or related to a particular (Type of) object. This is thetype of domain or data source normally found outside of AFFIRM, and,particularly for security reasons, AFFIRM treats domains and datasources that exist outside of an AFFIRM network as such. In an (AFFIRM)Type Domain there is an IOTO (see below) or set of records for everyType interaction context. This interaction context is established in aTD as users interact with a Type. (users, such as an IS in their PD orother HD). A TD is created when the Type is conceived or registered forthe first time in an AFFIRM network, and a TD gets linked to and usedwhenever another Domain partners with or uses the Type. In the preferredembodiment of AFFIRM if a Type Domain exists, it maintains continuouscontact with AFFIRM users of the Type (in other AFFIRM domains)

Whole Entity (W)—the Home Subject and other related subjects (e.g.partners) represented in the first (OD) dimension of an AFFIRM Domain(those objects located in the first column off the first row of theGUI), e.g. Subjects that are represented as wholes (individual, person,concept, etc.) in AFFIRM.

Exchange Object (X)—any object that is represented in the second (1D)dimension of an AFFIRM Domain. Xs can be exchanged (received in or sentout) or used in the process of interacting between W's. A complete groupof Xs, both incoming and outgoing, (e.g. those objects located in thesecond column off the second row of the GUI) represents a process thatthe whole (W) is involved in. The net or balance of the incoming andoutgoing is considered part of the W within which it exists. From theperspective of the W this grouping of Xs is considered a sub-system (orX part of the whole W system).

Attribute (a)—any asset, skill, quality, characteristic or otherexisting property of an X.

Benefits (b)—any benefit, result, reason, effect or other outcome(positive or negative, intended or unintended, envisioned or actual,etc.) of an X.

Symbol List (SL) is a list kept by every domain of the words and othersymbols used to refer to different concepts. There is a record for everyword/concept combination. (A Symbol List is sometimes called an Itemlist, and it may or may not be kept within the disclosed AFFIRM Domaindata structure.

Concept List (CL) is a list kept by every domain of the conceptsauthored and/or used in the domain. There is a record for every concept.(A Concept List is sometimes called an Option list, and it may or maynot be kept within the disclosed AFFIRM Domain data structure.)

Type List (TL) is a list of all Types used in a domain or network. Thislist also may or may not be kept within the disclosed AFFIRM Domain datastructure.

Community—a shared ecosystem or AFFIRM network in which a plurality ofPS/IS's belong, communicate, interact and build a common or agreedontology and/or metrology.

Uniform Interface (UI) is a device, structure or process through whichdata (transformed to or from the prescribed uniform domain structure)can be read, viewed or communicated.

Input Output Definition Objects (IODO)—an IOO with specified qualitativedefinition and unspecified quantitative value (see Value Object).

Input/Output Object Template (IOOT)—a metadata wrapper that complieswith the uniform domain data structure that acts as a purveyor ofcontext within and between Domains. An incomplete IOOT holds one or moreunspecified Input Output (Definition) Objects (IODO). An IOOT providesall the data and structure necessary to enable multiple IS Domains to beable to communicate about one or more Concepts, Usages, Types orEntities (represented by IODO's). An IOOT provides definition, enablingpieces of ontology to have meaning and to be shared between IS Domains.These IOOTs are shared to prepare ISs (including PSs) for asynchronouslyenvisioning and negotiating a particular exchange and eventuallyrecording and tracking actual change and Usage of Concepts as CIOOTs(Complete IOOTs). The IOOT is determined by the DC, its DCAL, its DCBALand its DCAAL (see below definitions). Other properties such as thoserepresented by the CID of the AIOO also determine the extent of what isincluded in an IOOT.

Complete IOOT (CIOOT) is a grouping of IOOs that represents a change inits entirety such that a given change is fully represented or definedwithin a CIOOT. A CIOOT must have all the elements or IOOs of a changecompletely specified. (e.g. all 0 or 1's in the CID) An IOO of a change,including future prospective change, is completely specified when eachstate and Value of (each dimension of) each object involved in a changeis known by all parties involved.

Data Object Instance (DOI)—set or packet of data (including AFFIRM‘messages’ that pass between AFFIRM methods, classes, sub-domains,domains, tiers and/or other ‘aspects’ of an AFFIRM domain or system).Content of a DOI is determined by the IOOT, IODO, CIOOT or other set(s)of IOO that make it up. The uniform structure of a DOI across AFFIRMnetworks, systems (e.g. servers), tiers, domains and/or other ‘aspects’of AFFIRM help give AFFIRM its unique quality and value.

Link ID (LID) is like an object ID that uniquely identifies an object.It provides a relative or absolute (entire DC) address used to link orpath to a (e.g. the next) node or data object in a domain. It is a fieldor part (Basic Element) of the uniform structure of each data object(IOO) or record. It is included in the preferred embodiment, but it maynot be necessary in all embodiments of AFFIRM.

Option (Concept or Usage) ID (OID) is a LID used to identify a genericoption, class or Concept or a specific option or Usage.

Item (Type or Entity) ID (ID) is a LID used to identify a generic item,class or Type or a specific item or Entity. An Item Type is a subtype ofone or more Options and an Item Entity is a subtype or specific instanceof a Usage.

Object Class ID (CID) is an identifier of the state of an object inparticular dimensions, in relation to the IS or other HS. It is the nameof the files in which data is stored. Therefore, the CID specifies howdata in an IS or other HS's Domain is partitioned or stored. Embedded inthe CID is all sorts of state information about the object, e.g. whetherthe object is a Option or Item, singular or plural, general (Concept andType) or specific (Use and Entity), potential or actual, and proposed oraffirmed, as well as the active or residing dimension for the object. Itis a field or part (Basic Element) of the uniform structure of each dataobject (IOO) or record. It is included in the preferred embodiment, butit may not be necessary in all embodiments of AFFIRM.

Object Label (OL) is a word used to describe a Concept or Usage or aname used to describe a Type or Entity. It is normally a field or part(Basic Element) of the uniform structure of each data object (IOO) orrecord. It is included in the preferred embodiment, but it may not benecessary in all embodiments of AFFIRM.

Object Description (OD) is a description, definition or otherinformation about an object. It is normally a field or part (BasicElement) of the uniform structure of each data object (IOO) or record.It is included in the preferred embodiment, but it may not be necessaryin all embodiments of AFFIRM.

Object Universal/Unique Resource Locator (URL) is a unique relative orabsolute address used to locate and access the media or other physicalobject that the data object represents or points to. It is normally afield or part (Basic Element) of the uniform structure of each dataobject (IOO) or record. It is included in the preferred embodiment, butit may not be necessary in all embodiments of AFFIRM.

Object Rank (OR) is what determines the relative order of the storage orpresentation of a data object or record. OR is dynamically recalculatedwhen a data event might change relative OR within a data file or otherstorage location. It is normally a field or part (Basic Element) of theuniform structure of each data object (IOO) or record. It is included inthe preferred embodiment, but it may not be necessary in all embodimentsof AFFIRM.

Object Value (OV or Value) is a value in a data object or recordrepresenting an IOO. The value is a quantitative measure or property ofthe real object the data object represents. It may be the mass, unitquantity or other measure of a physical object. It may also be a Total,Count, Average, Correlation (or Regression) Coefficient, Visualization,etc. depending ONT specification, or if not specified in ONT thendetermined by default depending on dimension. Value type is determinedby an Object's Number Type. Value is used when determining the OR. It isnormally a field or part (Basic Element) of the uniform structure ofeach data object (IOO) or record. It is included in the preferredembodiment, but it may not be necessary in all embodiments of AFFIRM.

Object Media Type (OMT) is what defines the type of physical or digitalmedia the object represents and the type of player/recorder or otherinterface that should be used to access, activate, control, manipulateor transform the real object that the data object represents. It issometimes part of URL. It is normally a field or part (Basic Element) ofthe uniform structure of each data object (IOO) or record. It isincluded in the preferred embodiment, but it may not be necessary in allembodiments of AFFIRM.

Object Number Type (ONT) is what defines the type of number the OVrepresents about the object, how that Value is measured, how that Valueshould be handled in functions, and how that Value should be presentedin output. It is normally a field or part (Basic Element) of the uniformstructure of each data object (IOO) or record. It is included in thepreferred embodiment, but it may not be necessary in all embodiments ofAFFIRM.

BID is an interactive code that is derived to or from an AIOOs CID andOR to dynamically determine where the real object is physically locatedin real multidimensional space, e.g. on a video monitor, and/or wherethe data object is represented in a data Domain. It is sometimesconsidered a field or part of the uniform structure of each data object(IOO) or record. It is included in the preferred embodiment, but it maynot be necessary for all instances of AFFIRM).

Domain Chain (DC) is the LID or a string of one or more LIDs that makeupa path through the data structure of a domain. A domains structure canbe thought of as a type of hierarchical structure only somewhat modifiedand more complex. As you can traverse through a hierarchical file systemby following a path, you can also traverse through an AFFIRM Domainstructure using a DC or path. IOOTs including CIOOT's are identified,located, read, handled and written in accordance with their DC. A CID(or BID) and DC is all that is needed to identify and locate any IOO inan AFFIRM Domain. It is sometimes (when it is the LID) considered afield or part of the uniform structure of each data object (IOO) orrecord (included in a preferred embodiment), but may not be necessaryfor all instances of AFFIRM).

Active Input Output Object (AIOO) is an IOO that is the activation oranchor point of an IOOT. It determines the Active Link of the DC. TheAIOO is designated by the user, record or interface to control dynamicDomain and Object (data and real) manipulation functions, particularlyfunctions such as send and receive that involve handling of IOOTs andphysical transformations that involve interpreting, enacting and/orrecording CIOOT instructions.

DC Active Link (DCAL) is the active link of the DC that is determined bythe AIOO. It is used to determine what is included in an IOOT. It isdetermined by which object is active (in focus) when the IOOT or IOOD iscreated (e.g. what button is highlighted in the GUI at the time amessage is Sent).

DC Before AL (DCBAL) is the part of the DC that specifies part of thedomain made up of the parents of the DCAL that will be included in anIOOT.

DC After AL (DCAAL) is the part of the DC that comes after the DCAL. TheDCAAL represents or specifies the inclusion of subsections of a Domainin an IOOT. The IOOT includes all or multiple children or sub-items ondown from the DCAL location and potentially all or multiple sub-optionson down from the DCAL in the hierarchy of a Domain. Other propertiessuch as the CID of the AIOO also determine the extent of what isincluded in a IOOT.

Active Primary Processing Method (APPM)—a function, process or methodthat can or is authorized to create CIOOT at the request or service of agiven subject and/or its domain.

The above terms, objects and other aspects of the present invention areconsidered part of the invention in the sense that their definitionsmake them distinctive and useful. This will become even more apparent inlight of further specification, claims, and drawings to follow.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a computingarchitecture and method for managing the socioeconomic interaction ofany entity or network of entities (e.g. single private individual,formally organized closed group, self-organizing closed group, or openpublic group, etc.), essentially comprised of: (a) a uniform subject andobject oriented data structure framework where each real entityrepresented in the system is referenced by a main subjective domainwhere it is the Home Subject (HS) and also by other reference objectslocated in other interacting domains where the real entity is reflectedas an object; (b) uniquely addressable and accessible locations for eachAFFIRM Domain in a network space; (c) subject and object orientedapplication programming environment that enables Home Subjects thatdon't know the syntax of a scripting language to create, access andoperate applications to manage interaction from within their domains bybilaterally interacting with other domains in the process of planning,proposing, selecting, instantiating, staging and modifying referenceobjects referring to other entities and interactions with them; (d)reference objects and bilateral links representing new bilateralinteractions or changes are able to be created and proposed by one HomeSubject and approved by another each in their respective programmingenvironments or domains with each relevant AFFIRM Domain being updatedwith reference objects that represent the state of the change from theperspective of that domain's Home Subject; (e) reference objects foragreed changes can include bilateral links representing the joining oftwo Home Subjects and their PDs in a partnership agreement that willexist until one of the Home Subjects decides to dissolve or discontinuethe relationship; and (f) bilateral discrete messaging, sharing orinteraction mechanism where any reference objects, particularly in theuniform data structure (described herein), can be sent by the HomeSubject of one domain in its prescribed structure to one or more otherpartnering domains to be received by their Home Subjects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and constitute apart of, this specification illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and together with the description, serve to explain theobjects, advantages, and principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a depiction of main goals and interactive processes needed tonurture synergistic relationships and knowledge in a learning individualor organization;

FIG. 2 is a depiction of a Landscape of Competitive Systems thatcurrently must be combined and integrated to satisfy the needs depictedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a Hub and Spoke phase in the evolution of communicationnetworks;

FIG. 4 shows a highly insecure state of security in today's systems;

FIG. 5 shows a Channel phase in the evolution of communication networks;

FIG. 6 shows an example of how an AFFIRM personal domain can integrateaccess to all sorts of applications across a Value Web Platform;

FIG. 7 shows a unique individual's Personal Domain or value web hub;

FIG. 8 shows a generic example of a collaborative value web hub withYou/Me/We exemplar;

FIG. 9 shows how AFFIRM enhances individual responsibility, authorityand security;

FIG. 10 shows the expanding universe of trust & application of anAFFIRM-system;

FIG. 11 shows a new paradigm in security achieved with AFFIRM;

FIG. 12 shows the real-time interaction that takes place between thethree main aspects of an embodiment of the AFFIRM and through theexternal messaging aspect of AFFIRM between multiple AFFIRM-baseddomains or systems;

FIG. 13 shows basic elements of a preferred embodiment of the uniformAFFIRM data structure (IOO) that can be uniformly instantiated withinand/or between three main aspects of AFFIRM as well as through messaging(in the form of carrier waves over a network or otherwise) betweenmultiple domains or systems that are internally organized and/orinterfaced according to the AFFIRM;

FIG. 14 shows an example of how an instance of data is created ororganized in the AFFIRM. It is depicted as it could appear in a userinterface or otherwise. Seeing this rough representation of an AFFIRMgraphical user interface (GUI) helps to demonstrate how the basicelements of the AFFIRM data structure fit together, since AFFIRMinterfaces (e.g. GUI), message protocols (e.g. carrier waves), processesor classes, (e.g. programmed in software and run on a processor) andframeworks (e.g. implemented in memory or storage of computing devices)are all created, instantiated and/or organized according to this sameuniform data structure that, once created and/or instantiated can betraversed, read and/or manipulated in forward and backward directions;

FIG. 15 shows the type of socioeconomic classification, prediction andclustering meta-model or framework that when instantiated and processedwithin the uniform multi-dimensional AFFIRM architecture of a particulardomain will logically evaluate (e.g. classify, grade, rank, score,prioritize, apportion, etc.) options to search, rationalize, justify andmotivate plan(s) and action(s);

FIG. 16 shows a hybrid “All Channel and All Hub” phase in the evolutionof communication networks, made possible by AFFIRM. The figure providesa look at how Personal Domains (PD) and other AFFIRM technology enablenetwork-wide data integration and aggregation without requiring everyonein the network to use the same inflexible data structures or tocontinuously do complex data transformations, one or both of which arerequired by all other information integration systems available today.This unique achievement as well as the unique ability to inherentlyprovide individual privacy and self-control over all interaction, e.g.data sharing from Private Person-to-Private, Semi-private and PublicPartners without requiring a third party security provider, make AFFIRMbased systems practical large-scale solutions for managing public healthand other security applications. This chart shows on a little biggerscale than previous charts how the data from specific individualizeddomains can be securely shared (with optional de-identification) inorder to provide increasing levels of aggregation in information as wellas evaluation and decision support to any level of resolution inincreasingly inclusive and/or more public domains.;

FIG. 17 shows an exemplary set of essential stages of collaborativedevelopment-Information, Inquisition, Interpretation, Integration,Individualization and Instruction, all driven by Inspiration;

FIG. 18 shows a Partner Inspiration Matrix (PIM), which is a preferredway of breaking down components and stages of change to plan specificcosts and benefits, predict overall impact, guide transformationalchange and monitor actual value-add resulting from interaction ofmultiple real entities;

FIG. 19 shows a preferred embodiment of the way AFFIRM implementsclasses and methods (for new or existing domains/entities and processes)according to uniformly consistent and logically ordered CIDtransformations. AFFIRM uses the same type of successive CIDtransformations to coordinate processing & flow of data through logicalstages. This together with AFFIRM style meta-modeling frameworks enableslogical and flexible processing of data in a domain without rewritingapplication software programs;

FIG. 20 shows one way AFFIRM can calculate and communicate toparticipants in a shared process or network “Why” a given product(“Product 1”) would be recommended over alternatives as most beneficialfor a given customer or market. The view shows how an AFFIRM basedsystem can go beyond traditional analysis matrices to address not onlythe particular features and functions of a particular product (e.g.medical procedure) but also the particular reasons “Why” (e.g. monetarycosts and benefits) the features and functions of a product (i.e.“What”) are appropriate for a particular customer or market (e.g. typeof patient). This is one way AFFIRM is able to reliably, accuratelyand/or validly justify, reason and/or rationalize expenditure,allocation, rationing, and/or apportioning of resources;

FIG. 21 Personal Domains enable electronic medical or health recordswhile maintaining the strictest privacy and HIPPA, all within traditionhealth care models;

FIG. 22 by combining parts from all different sources while only showingpersonal information that is authorized by the patient or data owner, aunified holistic view is provided at any level of aggregation,inclusiveness, resolution and/or level of detail;

FIG. 23 shows the Internet browser view of an AFFIRM-based domain thatdepicts how a given media document (e.g. radiology test) has been sharedby being linked through the URL of the uniform record (Input OutputObject—IOO) for a end-user created button (object) in the graphical userinterface (GUI). When shared with other users the button and access tothe linked media or document is automatically synthesized into thelarger domain and placed in the logically customized location or custompresentation that is appropriate for viewing within the record structure(e.g. electronic medical record (EMR)) of each domain and owner or HomeSubject, (e.g. a patient). FIG. 24 shows the parts of the uniform recordand object properties that are editable from the browser by the dataowner in this particular AFFIRM implementation;

FIG. 24 shows parts of the uniform record (Input Output Object—IOO) thatare editable from the browser by the data owner, guardian or otherauthorized designee in this particular AFFIRM implementation. In thisembodiment, the URL field can be a link to any media accessible on theWeb. This URL field can be filled in manually by a domain owner (enduser) or automatically populated by an upload function selected by theuser with the appropriate file and server Internet address selected bythe user for the uploaded media (Notice the “Upload” button in thebottom of the edit window also showing uniform record properties for theactive button object). These views show just one way that a GUIimplementation of AFFIRM could be implemented;

FIG. 25 shows just one of many business models that can be supported bythe application of AFFIRM technology in healthcare;

FIG. 26 shows that AFFIRM can calculate and tell participants in ashared process or network “Why” a given product (“Product 1”) would berecommended as beneficial for a given market (“Market 1”) need. The viewshows how an AFFIRM based system can display the particular features ofa particular product (e.g. medical procedure) and the particular extentof the benefits of these features for a particular market (e.g.patient). The specific view shown above is intended to communicate theanswer to the question “Why”. In the medical arena, it would help answerthe question, why should my loved one have this particular treatment(e.g. certain surgical procedure)? In this type of situation, anappropriate instance of the type of view shown above would communicatethe most important (top) feature (“Feature 1”) of the particularsurgical product or solution (“Product 1”), and the range of benefits(“Benefit 1-4”) that would be produced for the particular patient(“Market 1”). By combining this with other features such as those thattrack the gaps between actual and potential needs and benefits currentlybeing met and those that enable mutual planning, coordination andimplementation, the mutual evaluation, planning and implementation ofdifferent scenarios for how to allocate limited resources between partsof a network or portfolio and optimize network-wide value can be done;and

FIG. 27 shows another look at how AFFIRM domains, including PersonalDomains (PD) and others, as well as other AFFIRM technology enablenetwork-wide data integration and aggregation without requiring everyonein the network to use the same inflexible data structures (e.g. fixeddatabase field names) or to continuously do complex datatransformations, one or both of which are required by all otherinformation integration systems available today. This unique achievementas well as the unique ability to inherently provide individual privacyand self-control over all interaction, e.g. data sharing from PrivatePerson-to-Private, Semi-private and Public Partners without requiring athird party security provider, make AFFIRM based systems practicallarge-scale solutions for managing public health and other securityapplications. This chart shows on a little bigger scale than previouscharts how the data from specific individualized domains can be securelyshared (with optional de-identification) in order to provide increasinglevels of aggregation in information as well as evaluation and decisionsupport to any level of resolution in increasingly inclusive and/or morepublic domains.

FIG. 28 shows just some of the many diverse sectors and fields ordomains where AFFIRM can be applied. Perhaps the greatest value ofAFFIRM will be how it is capable of bringing complementary parties fromdifferent previously divided sectors or fields together in symbioticrelationships.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general, an embodiment of the present invention comprises uniformdata structure adopted in computing device to efficiently store,distribute and process data in a variety of applications. Said datastructure comprised of multiple complementary subparts that together andindependently facilitate communication of inputs and outputs through oneor more defined interfaces to facilitate secure access and coordinationbetween an individual subject and other real (physical) entities.Methods are disclosed that (at least in the preferred embodiment work intandem with the disclosed data structure and interface components to)enable given subject(s) (through their AFFIRM subject domains) tointeract as subjects (in a secure and easy flowing manner) and beinteracted with as objects (e.g. created, represented, designed,constructed, discussed, observed, possessed, owned, licensed, used,implemented, tested, graded, ranked, scored, apportioned, evaluated,communicated, negotiated, transacted, learned, developed, integrated,nurtured, coordinated, etc.) by other given subject(s) and in theprocess determine the merit (quality and meaning), worth (quantity andvalue) and significance (impact on others) of the given Subject(s)throughout their entire life-cycle. Methods are also disclosed that maywork in tandem with the disclosed data structure and interfacecomponents to enable and require given single human user(s) or otherindividual personal subject(s) (e.g. legal corporations) to maintainexclusive self-control over at least one data domain (a Personal Domain)that represents themselves (and their relationships). These exclusivedata domains, organized according to the disclosed data structure, eachact as an interface and regulating mechanism through which an individualpersonal subject (owner) manages (plans, organizes, motivates andcontrols) and is accountable for their actions and their impact on otherreal entities. Coordination is achieved through the disclosed mechanismby having the complementary actions of each real change enacted twice,first through an asynchronous (interaction) planning and/or negotiationprocess that progresses as a result of successive message passing and/ormutual agreement and then as real synchronized coactive implementationsof the interactions upon established times and/or other events. In thisway, given synchronized clocks, independently controlled yetinterdependently effectual change can be implemented at the same time,even in distant locations. An interaction management mechanism monitorsthe stage of each change process at one or more levels of detail oraggregation. In the process each individual personal subject can usetheir personal domain(s) to anticipate potential changes and theireffects based on data representing expertise or experience (includinginformation about their potential deeds valued based on the actual unmetneeds they have the potential to meet of others), decide whether toagree on specific proposed changes or interactions, compare expectationswith actual outcomes, and use past outcomes to predict future outcomes.Another mechanism processes, distributes and stores this experientialinformation and uses it to guide future action. There is also a processand/or mechanism that allows individuals to keep their own dictionariesof words they use and their meanings while contributing to sociallybuilding an ontology of words and their conceptual meanings within oneor more different networks or social contexts in which they areinvolved. The mechanism designates each given concept or other objectwith a code or Link ID (LID) (at least in the preferred embodiment).Upon creation of a new concept, the LID is randomly generated by thismechanism, saved in a new IOO for the new concept within the conceptauthor's domain and used to create a bi-directional link between theposition within the author's domain where the concept is created and anew concept domain that is also created. An IOO for it is also placed inappropriate Concept List(s), depending on who the author wants to makethe concept accessible to, which can include being open to the public,AFFIRM network, or specific partners. The same LID code is received,through transmission within an IOO, by other domains that use theconcept. When a domain uses a concept for the first time, an IOO withthe LID is saved within the using domain in the appropriate position forthe given concept. This position is known as a result of its location inan incoming message or as a result of the domain user adding it in whatis considered an appropriate position from an accessible Concept List.This later method can be a result of the concept being on a Concept Listthat is accessible to the using domain. Whether the concept is sharedwith the using domain as part of a message or selected by the user ofthe using domain off a Concept List, it can be in any dimension (columnon the preferred embodiment of the GUI) that is appropriate, other thanthe first (0D), e.g. as a Type (X diagonal header in 1D), an attribute(a in 2D), benefit (b in 2D or 3D). This Link ID for the concept is thenused to link to the given concept's domain from those other domains thatuse the concept. A message in the form of the IODO for its use locationis sent to and placed in the Concept Domain when the concept is used.When a user wishes to use a different word to represent the concept thisword is recorded in the Label Field by the user and both recorded in theuser's Concept List and also in the domain of the Concept (in the formof a CIODO). In this way the concept domain knows what other words areused to describe the concept. So all communication and interlinking ofinformation about the concept is based on the LID of the concept, but ifa domain uses another term to describe the concept that is what is usedto label the concept in that given domain. This mechanism enablesindividuals who use different words or languages to refer to the sameconcept or objects, e.g. across different cultures or fields ofknowledge, to better communicate and understand each other. Theconceptual meaning an individual subject user refers to when utilizing aword in a particular context, that can be inferred based on the logicalarchitecture of the invention's data structure, effects the conceptualmeaning attributed to the words or other symbols in the ontology ofdomains that share and represent a use context, e.g. field of study,with the individual subject (user).

The technical challenges solved in the present invention overcome theabove mentioned limitations with prior art and provide other unique anduseful functions that are significant. The invention should beconsidered both in whole and in part. Each benefit or utility and thepart(s) of the invention that facilitates that utility should beconsidered as distinctly separate claims or inventions. It is also truethat the invention as a whole provides utility and therefore should beconsidered an invention in whole as well.

Several valuable economic benefits will accrue to socioeconomic entitiesthat use the present invention to organize themselves and theirparticipation in collaboration networks. These benefits are a directresult of the innovations present in this invention. The benefitsprimarily result from the way the invention can facilitate the securemanagement of the economic/business affairs of unlimited numbers ofindependently distributed and located economic entities, the ability toconverge them into common collaborative organizational structures ondemand. The technology enables users to propose and visualizecollaborative alternatives, manage collaborative relationships, keeptrack of the value created by each collaborating entity, and evenequitably share gains with participating parties.

These valuable business functions are feasible because of thetechnology's innovative architecture and processing methods thatfacilitate both analysis and transactions in a closed feedback loop. Themethods that make it possible to do this are unique and unprecedented.Some technical areas the innovations impact include: Peer-to-PeerNetwork Computing Architecture, Authorization and Access Control,Performance Management, Information Personalization, Distributed DataManagement, Partitioning & Processing, Graphical User Interfaces &Applications, Application Generation, Knowledge and Ontologyrepresentation, Knowledge Delivery & Syndication Protocols, EnterpriseApplication Integration, Internet & Mobile Device Services, and Privacy& Security.

Peer-to-Peer Distributed Network Computing Architecture—The advancedfunctionality of the technology is achieved with highly sophisticatedyet efficient procedures made possible by a uniform subject and objectoriented architecture that enables distributed processing of dataobjects on a peer-to-peer basis, while being cognizant of and keepingtrack of subject and object grammars. This architecture also provides auniform yet flexible way to both distribute and integrate the data thatmakes up all the different knowledge bases on demand. In peer-to-peerfile sharing of music and other digital content it is particularlydifficulty to manage distribution rights, so it is currently difficultto directly invoice for consumption of digital content in a proactiveway. An ability to do this would help this situation. This is somethingthe present invention does, and also, when content will be sharedbetween individuals using software based on the invention, it will notbe the actual content files being sent. Rather it is categorized(structured) links to content on other content servers that are passedbetween users. Therefore, this will be an efficient and effective way ofsharing “playlists” and other information, without automaticallyempowering or requiring the user to have the content. Then it is up tothe authorized content server (most likely the content producer orprovider themselves) to manage the streaming (or downloading) of thefile direct to the end consumer. This will have the added ability tocontrol licensing fees, etc. The authorized content provider or serveralso then has a better opportunity to build a relationship with the endconsumer.

Authorization and Access Control—Whenever it is important to identifyusers before access is provided to digital systems, or content,identification systems, like bioID, etc., become important. To work wellthese systems need to work with systems and content that can efficientlyand effectively partition content and system resources by user, and thepresent invention, again, solves this problem better than currenttechnology.

Real-time Performance Management—The architecture also makes it possibleto measure and manage the performance of an enterprise or collaborativeeffort, including the individuals involved, in real-time. Unlike mostanalytical applications, with AFFIRM this is achieved using the samedata architecture as that used for transactions. Thus, real-timeanalysis is possible without the normally required data export,transformation and loading (ETL) from transactional systems toanalytical ones.

Information Personalization—Configuration of appropriate information fora given user is converged for each individual situation (into individualor personal domains) based on what is shared by content providers orpartner users. This creates different personalized or customizedinformation for each user.

Distributed Data Management, Partitioning & Processing—Through applyingthe proprietary architecture, the technology can partition and processdata in infinite (or an unlimited number of) separate (sparselypopulated) locations and still bring data together when appropriate ondemand. In this way the technology supports scaling to unlimited numbersof individual users, servers, enterprises and industry segments. Also,the data can be organized according to user defined schemas or datastructures and still be able to be merged into the uniform AFFIRM datastructure.

Graphical User Interfaces & Applications—The technology's graphical userinterface (GUI) enhancement can coexist with any Internet contentdelivery system to improve the organization and access of contextspecific knowledge. All applications are accessible through the samestandard interface, thus giving users familiar with one application, theability to operate any application without any relearning. The GUI canmorph to any size, depending on the screen size available.

Application Generation—Specialized or industry specific applications canbe developed or “programmed” by those that poses the specializedknowledge without the need for a separate technical person or steprequiring knowledge of a computer coding language.

Language/Symbol Processing, Knowledge & OntologyRepresentation—Comprehensive studies of language (e.g. semiotics)distinguish pragmatics as an important complement to syntax andsemantics. Syntax is about rules of expression. Semantics is aboutdefining conceptual meaning. Pragmatics is about shapinglanguage/symbols through use. Modern digital communication networks andcomputer programming methods now address the first two (withcapabilities like those found in the “semantic web” still underdevelopment) Pragmatics is not well handled in or with current art andtherefore we provide a much needed practical value by enabling what wecall the “Pragmatic Web”.

Knowledge Delivery & Syndication Protocols—The technology has onestandard way of communicating packets of any type of knowledge. Thisenables databases to evolve and integrate easier and improves theperformance and fault tolerance of the messaging system without limitingthe type of knowledge that can be shared between collaborators.

(Cross) Enterprise Application Integration—By providing a uniform datastructure that can store virtually any type of structured data andmaintain its integrity, we provide a common format that different typesof structured data can be converted to as an interim stage in thetransformation of data between applications needing structured data indifferent forms to pass between them. By providing a uniform interfacewe enable an individual entity such as a user or other functional deviceto easily control or integrate with other disparate parts of a greatersystem connected through a communication medium. (For an example, seeFIG. 6—Personal Domains and Value Web Platform)

Internet & Mobile Device Services—The technology's knowledge protocoland GUI features make our infrastructure technology ideal for portabledevices asynchronously connected through packet switched IP protocolswith limited screen sizes and processing power. The combination of thesedevices with our infrastructure will enable the application of the rightknowledge, to the right place, at the right time, no matter where thatmay be.

Security& Privacy—By combining the inventions data partitioning featureswith standard cryptographic and public private key methods a highlysecure infrastructure for collaboration and exchange has been created.It provides protection while enabling the simplest implementation andmaintenance requirements.

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to the enhancedability to manage and coordinate change—resulting from how advancedtechnology enabling structured data to be logically distributed withinand across domains by state of change as well as levels of relatednessand aggregation.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to the enhancedability to leverage resources, knowledge and relationships—resultingfrom advanced technology enabling structured data to be efficiently andeffectively distributed across domains in mutually meaningful andefficient as well as effective ways.

Lastly, another embodiment of the present invention is directed to theenhanced ability to secure intellectual property and other privateinformation—resulting from advanced technology enabling structured datato be secured within domains while coordinating its use across domains.

The above embodiments achieve their objectives by providing new datarecord structures, new data communication networks, new datapartitioning methods and new data dictionaries. The above embodimentscan be used together or separately.

AFFIRM includes uniform data structure adopted by computing devices forstorage, distribution and processing in a variety of applications. Theuniform data structure is comprised of multiple complementary subpartsthat together and independently facilitate communication of inputs andoutputs through one or more defined interfaces that facilitatecoordination between individual subjects and/or other physical entities.Methods are also disclosed that work in tandem with the data structureand interface components to enable and/or require a single human user orother individual subject, using the invention or participating in anetwork using the invention, to maintain exclusive self-control over atleast one personal domain (PD) virtual domain or value web hub thatrepresents themselves and their relationships. See FIG. 7—A UniqueIndividual's Personal Domain (or Value Web Hub). It is through such aPersonal or Home Domain that an individual subject (IS) managesinteraction between parts of itself, i.e. its other domains, includingsub and supra domains where it is the exclusive Individual Subject (IS),with concept domains and with domains of other individual subjects (IS).

These exclusive virtual domains organized according to the discloseddata structure act as an interface through which individual subjectowners regulate their actions that impact or interact with other'sactions and effect their environments. By virtue of having exclusivecontrol of a domain using the disclosed structures, interfaces andmethods, an individual (personal) subject is able to regulate theirinteraction with and impact on the environment. Individual (personal)subjects control and/or manipulate their environment by providingcommand inputs (proposals or orders) to their domain(s) that representpotential and/or actual commitments to future action or change.

The domain structure and change (interaction) protocol require that anyaction that affects or is effected by other independent (personal)subjects (each with their own exclusive domains) be explicitly orimplicitly (through pre-authorization) agreed to by all the interactingentities. Proposed changes are first sent out from the initiating orproposing domain to potential interacting entities. These interactingentities may include any other domains using the disclosed structure andchange protocols whose controllers have agreed to partner with theinitiating entity. When two or more individuals each have a personaldomain they are able to manage interaction much more fluidly, securelyand intelligently.

An AFFIRM network may include group domains made up of multipleindividual members (e.g. teams or organizations), but each individualmember, participating in a secure network, must have at least oneexclusive domain from which each individual manages its interactionswith the group domain. (See FIG. 8—Collaborative Value Web HubExample—You/Me/We) In this way, by enabling the ability to also createindividual group domains (essentially individuals made up of multipleindividuals), different levels and structures of organization andinteraction can be achieved in a flexibly evolving communication networkthat explicitly implements and effectively represents the social networkthat is most appropriate for a given situation. These group domains actas collaborative process domains with shared control instigated from theindividual personal home domain(s) of member(s), personnel and/or otherauthorized executors (each as a “Partner” of the group). Each would beexpected to act in accordance with the governance policy established bydomain owners and/or members. And the specific actions of each Partneris known and tracked by both the individual's personal domain and by thegroup domain, so both have a record of proof of what transpired. Thisprovides enhanced accountability for action and the security that goesalong with this. AFFIRM technology ensures that a Personal Subject hasexclusive control of its PD and that impact attribution can be given tothe actions and members that deserve it, whether positive or negative.It is possible to have this enhanced attribution (even non-repudiation)by using AFFIRM in private, semi-private and public networks. The addedaccountability and/or transparency achieved using AFFIRM technologyshould motivate both improved performance and improved security. Inorder to enhance coordination and security, each real interactionrequires data to be changed and/or affirmed by all involved partners.Each data change is controlled and/or consented to from the exclusiveand separate database or domain of involved individual(s). As a result,the data owner, i.e. the HS or owner(s) of the domain where a piece ofdata is created, has complete control over data dissemination. They areable to control which partners are sent each piece of data (IOO) on anas desired and/or as needed basis. So if a certain specific piece ofdata is not needed for a certain participant in a transaction (groupprocess) it is not shared or accessible for them. The data owner hascomplete control over who and/or which other domains have access to eachspecific piece of data of theirs, on a transaction-by-transaction orshare-by-share basis. Also, each individual has an archive of eachinteraction, including what data was shared with other domains, andagain, a domain is not able to send data to other domains that it didnot create and therefore a record is available of all domains andexclusive home subjects (HS) that have access to each particular pieceof their information. By controlling the dissemination of data to othersa data owner has control over their own data and data only flows tonecessary parties when it is considered appropriate by the data owner.This data sharing and security protocol obfuscates the need for thirdparty security personnel and provides an audit trail of who has hadaccess to what information. As a result there is less cost for securitypersonnel, less chance of third party abuse, and greater security forprivate information and intellectual property. Also, by not putting allof an organizations data in one database, it limits the amount of peopleaccessing a given secure database from many potential abusers of accessrights to one exclusive and responsible individual subject (IS). Notonly does this minimize the need for write locks on data (in adatabase), but also minimizes the risk of data security breaches. (SeeFIG. 9—Individual Responsibility, Authority and Security)

In the case of a hospital (or health care) patient, an individualpatient would only share their personal private information with otherson an as needed and trusted basis. It is a basic requirement of theHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that apatient should be able to be in control of their medical records likethis, but other systems are not able offer this type of control toindividual patients. Therefore, most healthcare providers requirepatients to give up their HIPAA rights before they will treat a patient.(See FIG. 10—Expanding Universe of Trust and Application) One can seefrom this diagram, that as data is shared out from a specific personaldomain to other semi-private or more public domains, data can beincreasingly “de-identified” and/or pared down to include less specificor personal information. These more public or more specialized domainscan include granular records from multiple other domains (See FIG. 8—We)that can be aggregated into more general group summaries or moreabstract individual identities. These aggregate or more abstractdomains, that are still considered individuals in their own right, e.g.corporate domains, can also be used as search directories. They arebasically domains where the unit of analysis, attribution or assignmentis represented and/or managed on a more abstract or aggregate level. Itis the ability of domains to fluidly share and separately locate databetween and among themselves, without the difficulties and insecuritiesfound in other system types, that makes this possible and/or morepractical. Also, unlike with other systems, with AFFIRM it is alsopossible to communicate back to the more specific, private or granulardata source domains to alert the source, e.g. a specific patient, abouta specific threat or opportunity that should be considered given thesource's general condition. More will be explained about how data isfluidly shared later.

Also, with the ability to have each individual have their ownindividualized databases or domains comes the ability to have more thatone domain per individual. An individual subject's AFFIRM data can bebroken into multiple domains according to various organizationalschemes. For example data can be partitioned in separate domains basedon different levels of aggregation (granularity or specificity) and/ordifferent amounts of relatedness. For example, medical information for agiven individual could be in one separate domain, or medical procedureinformation at the total cost level of aggregation could be in oneseparate domain. An individual's personal (ized) domain could includeseparate view(s) from within one or more different given domain(s),depending on the security and level of dimensionality needed for thesignificant perspectives roles that need to be observed and managed by agiven individual personal subject. Also, in a preferred embodiment it ispossible for users to access all separate but related views, whetherthey are in separate domains or not from one personal domain (PD). Forexample, an individual's view of a group domain would be a standard viewwithin that individual's personal domain. A group or organization domainwould be divided into as many logical perspective(s) or “positionview(s)” as would be appropriate and these would be divided up amongpersonnel as appropriate for each individual personnel's position(s).The system is particularly helpful in easily managing the complex arrayof views needed to effectively manage a global “matrix style”organization. In any case, as the number and variety of domains anindividual has and/or uses increases the security of each piece of thewhole set of AFFIRM data increases. This is because each domain of datawill be separately protected with separate passwords or bioID typeauthentication. (See FIG. 11—A New Paradigm in Security)

When all individual subjects interacting in a particular potentialchange, i.e. involved domains, have either proposed or affirmed a changefor an agreed time this change is then scheduled to happen in allinteracting domains. Then at the scheduled time, which may beimmediately, the domains of all individual subjects involved in aplanned change simultaneously cause their respective acts in the changeor interaction to really happen. Through this mechanism real (physicaland metaphysical) change must be enacted twice, first as anasynchronously negotiated plan, and then as a real synchronousimplementation. Since a plan is normally not allowed to be actualized inreverse or without the interacting party's approval (affirmation orinformed consent) (See FIG. 19), there is assurance that the creatorsand participants in the visualization and actualization of a plan (idea,concept, etc.) are all informed throughout the entire lifecycle. Thelifecycle of a change emerges from visualization to actualization byincorporating inputs and outputs along the way on various dimensions(FIG. 19 shows the first 0D dimension, but the other dimensionsessentially operate the same way, while being dependent on otherdimensions. For example visualization of general Potential (ideal)change happens in 4D or above and matching of incremental change withspecific partners happens in 5D or above. Initiation of an incrementalchange, e.g. adding a new partner, starts with the visualization of anew incremental change in the transition between the last and firstcolumns (“vis” in 6D/OD dimension), e.g. for a prospective newpartnership/interaction (See example vis/act of new partnership in FIG.19). These incremental changes can represent inputs or outputs bothpotential or actual and therefore can represent flow of exchange inmultiple directions and emergence of change from the imagined idea orideal to the actual. Then actualization of an affirmed real change canoccur e.g. implementation of a new partnership in the first dimension(with an affirmed “act” in 0D).

These capabilities are able to handle and model non-linear change,keeping track of data in these various successive dimensions for examplealso enables the coverage of data representing dynamic processes acrossthe range statistical moments, e.g. from counts, to mean in the firstmoment, to variances (as well as covariances, correlations, regressions,etc.) in the second, scewness in the third, kurtosis in the fourth,among just a few standard measures. This enables researchers andevaluators as well as authors or creators and other contributors toscience, engineering and other value-added process to better understandtheir work and control the use (and licensing, if desired) of theircreations. Also, quantitative (and qualitative) feedback measures,confirming (through “updating”, etc.) the effect of planned and realactions, are triggered and passed between interacting domains (from thedomain or location of the real effect to the affecting (source)domain(s). (See FIG. 12 Real-time Interaction through the ExternalMessaging Aspect of AFFIRM between Multiple AFFIRM Systems, from OneSingle AFFIRM Instance or Implementation)

FIG. 12 Shows the real-time interaction through the external messagingaspect of AFFIRM between multiple AFFIRM systems (domains, serversand/or networks), from one single AFFIRM instance or implementation,with its three main aspects of AFFIRM for a given home subject entity,to the data stores of other external object entities. Each domain isexclusively managed as an AFFIRM instance by and/or for their respectiveHome Subject entity. Messages or data object instances (IODO or IOOTmade up of IOO and their Basic Elements of the AFFIRM data structure)can only pass to external entities (other domains) that have approved ofa data sharing partnership with the sending entity. If the receivingentity desires, (pending) messages can be reviewed and approved prior toreceiving (a message into the receiving domain's server).

The same kind of one to many relationships (from one given home subjectto many external object entities) can exist for all external AFFIRMobject entities where they are the Home Subjects. In fact every instanceof a relationship (e.g. partnership) in the process of being initiatedby one subject entity (by creating and sending a proposal message in theform of a Data Object Instance), has the potential to have a reciprocalmessage returned in the form of an affirmation message (Data ObjectInstance) from within an object entity (where it is the subject). Once aproposal gets its matching affirmation, from interacting parties, therelationship is consummated, and the mutually agreed action/event (e.g.the creation of a partnership) is set to take place at the prearrangedtime. Once a partnership is created between domains, there arereciprocal (bi-directional) links between the two domains. The fact thatthere must be a reciprocal link, or a complete circuit between tworelated (e.g. partner) domains or objects, for any link to actuallyexist, or any communication (subsequent sending of data between thedomains) to take place, enables AFFIRM to prevent “lost links” (e.g.URLs to non-existent locations) and unauthorized communication, e.g.spam or denial of service attacks. A reciprocal link can be modified orremoved by either party, but since they always have a link back, it ispossible to always inform the other of a move, or changed link location,before or as a link is being modified. Also, if one removes a link theother must remove the reciprocal link as well. This is unlike the WorldWide Web where links can go only one direction and become a “lost link”when the destination shuts down or moves.

The uniform data structure (for a domain or parts of a domain, e.g. IODOor IOOT) is a hybrid graph/tree (network) structure that can be used torepresent sets of objects that are logically organized (or structured)in a unique hierarchical form, with objects and their inter-linkagesrepresented on various levels or dimensions. The elements of the AFFIRMdata structure are the UBDU, which elsewhere in this document is calledan Input Output Object (IOO), which is encapsulated inside of a UniformBasic Data Set (UBDS), which are groups of data files each of which isnamed and located according to what is elsewhere called a called ObjectClass Identifier (CID) and a Domain Chain (DC) within a Domain. Domainsoverlap in terms of the objects of their data content, but they eachhave a different or unique subjective perspective (which is that of theHome Subject). Domains all have the same uniform data structure, buthave varying levels of abstraction, scope, etc., can be used torepresent anything, and are distributed to different part of a networkspace. AFFIRM Domains are located and linked within a network of domainsby bidirectional links that use the Universal (or Unique) resourcelocator (URL) of each domain (e.g. an Internet Web-based preferredembodiment uses http://www.web_domain_name/AFFIRMdomain_name). So thedata structure aspect of the AFFIRM invention can also be described ashaving four independent yet also interdependent elements, each of whichalso have their own basic elements. These four elements applied to acomputer readable medium enable a computing device to efficiently managedata about an entity and its relationships in real time. The basicelements of the AFFIRM data structure are sometimes referred to as theUniform Basic Data Unit (UBDU), Uniform Basic Data Set (UBDS), theUniform Classification Structure (UCS), and the Uniform Domain Structure(UDS). These AFFIRM data structure elements are either interdependentlyor independently used repeatedly (primarily to structure, store, orcache data) in the various “aspects” of an AFFIRM implementation, thearchitectural frameworks (for persistent data storage and caching),functions (for efficient data processing) and interfaces (for easy dataaccess and transformation). This AFFIRM caching (of data that comprisesparts of a domain) is made up of one or more UBDU instances within oneor more UBDS instances within one or more UCS instances within one ormore UDS instances. UBDU instances or UBDU's are what may appear to beredundantly located in other sets of data on the same level (in a classwith a 1 or 0 state as well as in an X state) or nested under multipleappropriate higher structure instances (UBDS's, UCS's, or UDS's), butthe appropriate location of a particular UBDU in a unique combination ofinstances of these peer and higher class structure instances makes eachUBDU instance unique, identifiable, and locatable within a subjectentity domain. UBDU's are quickly and/or directly accessible (withoutdoing a compare on every record) within a UBDS by rank. This canalternatively or optionally be done in other embodiments according to asort by Value, which prioritizes records for access, but may not providesuch a direct access method as rank. The Value field or Object can beany number of value types. In the preferred implementation even theValue field is stored as a string and cast as a number (according to itsNumber Type) when necessary or appropriate. Each complete UBDU instancepoints to an object entity. The object entity domain each UBDU instancepoints to is either a virtual (external) object domain (actuallyrepresented inside the exclusive subject entity oriented data store(domain) at an internal address that is derived, relative to thesubject, from the actual address where the object is represented as asubject) or an actual (external) object domain where the UBDS instancethe UBDU instance belongs to is an Active Primary Processing Method(APPM) (as determined according to data class or CID). An APPM can (oris authorized to) initiate or commit real change (as a result of itsinstances having evolved through the negotiation process between actordomains (and their subjects) to the ‘complete’ ‘actual’ state (all 1s inthe CID). Again, in a given situation (or state) the same given CID(which is appropriately named according to that state) is used to helpappropriately identify and locate both the method itself and itsinstances by sending messages or Data Object Instances (DOIs) (withCIOOTs in them) to either actual inside objects (sub-parts of thecurrent domain) or actual outside objects (in related ‘external’domains). DOI's or messages are also made up of (or organized accordingto) the same uniform data structure elements as the other ‘aspects’ ofAFFIRM (as a mobile cache). Optionally there may be another layer ofstructure, (e.g. a private network, an Internet domain or a messagingsystem for a given network), which keeps one network of AFFIRM domainsdistinguishable from another, but in the preferred embodiment there isan AFFIRM domain (that could be considered to be at another, saynetwork, level of abstraction) for each AFFIRM server. (See FIG.13—Basic Elements of the AFFIRM Data Structure) The sub-parts of an IOO(sub-elements of a UBDU or fields of an AFFIRM record) are also all thesame for a given AFFIRM embodiment (although they can vary betweenAFFIRM embodiments, i.e. different ways of writing or implementingAFFIRM in hardware, firmware or software). So a significantcharacteristic or attribute of AFFIRM (that gives AFFIRM value and makesAFFIRM special) is that is that all sorts of applications in all sortsof fields for all sorts of subjects can be created using the same datastructure (across a given embodiment of AFFIRM) in all ‘aspects’, tiersor levels (e.g. data store, cache, process, interface, message, etc.) ofa given AFFIRM system.

An AFFIRM interface (e.g. a graphical user interface or GUI or s datatransformer between particular data formats of other systems outside ofAFFIRM and the uniform structure of AFFIRM) reflects this datastructure, and uses it to interact with AFFIRM based data (stores,caches, etc.) and/or methods. FIG. 14 shows an example of how the datais organized in a GUI. Seeing this GUI like representation of the AFFIRMdata structure also helps to understand the basic elements of the AFFIRMdata structure described above, since, as mentioned, an AFFIRMinterface, along with other AFFIRM ‘aspects’ (e.g. data stores andcaches), is also organized according to the common uniform structure.For example you can see the Domain Chain (DC) embedded in theorganization of the GUI like depiction of the data structure. You cansee the Class Identifiers (CIDs) that ID each successive UBDS that isaccessed to gather or save data records (IOO) for display in a GUI oruse by some other interface. Together the DC's (in or made up of LIDs)and the CIDs are used to link through a domain and locate/access anydata set(s) (UBDS) or object(s) (IOO) for use in an interface, functionor other aspect of AFFIRM.

Any element within an instance of the data structure or a representationof the data structure (e.g. in an interface like the GUI) can beaccessed by knowing what is called the Domain Chain which is a string ofobject ID's, sometimes called a Link ID's (LID), including the one thathelps identify and locate the needed element(s) like a UBDS (e.g. file)and/or UBDU (e.g. record) and the CID (file or UBDS name). This CID(class and/or method ID) represents the state of the data objects(IOO/UBDU in the UBDS), the name of the data set or UBDS and the name ofthe method(s) that can be used to process the data in the UBDS. IOOrepresenting related IOO/UBDU or UBDS are also located in each UBDS soas to facilitate parallel, backward, forward and other (optional)navigations or messages to other objects. The Link ID need only beunique within the particular CID named UBDS instance in which it (theobject) is found. In fact, this same LID can be used to represent thesame object in other data sets with either different (oftencomplementary, e.g. a CID of 11-00 in one domain may represent the exactsame object as 11-11 in another, since one domain's demand/input isanother ‘partner’ domain's supply/output) CIDs (file/method/record/namesor identifiers) or different locations (based on different LID's in theDomain Chain). This ability to represent a given object (or component ofaction or potential change) from multiple perspectives is very powerful.For example, it enables the same object or change to be part of morethan one domain and/or level of abstraction and/or to participate inmore than one ontology or metrology and/or to be recorded in more thanone UBDS (or represented more than one state/class or combination ofstates/classes). As a result of this ability of the AFFIRM datastructure to represent objects (or changes) simultaneously in such avariety of ways, the AFFIRM methods designed to take advantage of thisare able to provide an unprecedented level of monitoring, evaluation andcoordination functions from different complementary perspectives, levelsof abstraction, etc.

It is also possible to access records or UBDU's within a UBDS based onthe current Rank of the data object. From the Rank the line number of arecord in a sequential file can be determined to enable the (recordaccess) “cursor” to go directly to the record (elsewhere called a UBDUor IOO depending on the context) for quick access without doing acompare on each line to find a particular unique but random ornon-sequential ID. This improves the speed of access to a specific UBDUelement and enables AFFIRM to efficiently and practically access andsave changes to a UBDS and/or an individual UBDU (record) on anincremental and real-time basis no matter how distributed the data setsand units are throughout cyberspace (or other network). The rank alsoprioritizes data by ordering records or UBDU from most important toleast based on the Value of each individual UBFU. This is particularlyhelpful to humans viewing an AFFIRM interface or GUI since it helpspeople prioritize or see what to focus on. This reduces informationoverload. This rank access method the ability to visualize theattractiveness of various changes (using the algorithm depicted in FIG.15), the ability to account for potential and/or actual value creationfrom multiple perspectives, and the ability to have given objects appearin multiple locations and/or state representations work together toenable AFFIRM to efficiently and effectively locate the best alternativechange(s) (e.g. “option”, “decision”, “move”, etc.) in a “search space”(or set of real options, decisions, moves, etc.), apportion or allocateresources and optimize value creation. Also, a UBDU can be locatedwithin a UBDS by Link ID (LID) when necessary. (See CID of the end IOOof the Domain Chain in the FIG. 14) In addition to a 0, 1, or X digit inthe CID for each of two properties per dimension there is also acorrelate LID segment of the Domain Chain (for each of these CIDdigits). LID's are usually randomly assigned codes, but in this examplethe LID's are single digit numbers representing the sequentialalternating order of ‘items’ and ‘options’ that need to be navigatedthrough in the GUI or data of an AFFIRM Domain in order to access theIOO in the end column or last dimension (although numbers of dimensionscan modified in a given AFFIRM instance of a given AFFIRMimplementation, an IOO in the end column would normally be an item inthe 5th column (of the ‘knowledge navigator’) of a GUI or the IOO withthe CID of 11111-11111 in the lower right of FIG. 14. Each of the singledigit numbered buttons in FIG. 14 represent an IOO (record or UBDU)selection from a set of one or more choices available in a UBDS (file).These selections can be made by a user on the GUI or AFFIRM methodsand/or interfaces in different procedures. The odd numbered buttonsacross the top are Option buttons that represent Concept or Use (class)selections and the even numbered buttons going diagonal are Item buttonsthat represent Type or Entity selections. In the ‘knowledge navigator’part of the GUI from the preferred implementation, which is roughlyrepresented in FIG. 14, when the buttons are Concepts or Uses they areColumn header Option buttons like the odd numbered rectangles in FIG.14. Different Concepts or Uses can also be optionally represented in (anincrementally increasing number of) additional column header Optionbuttons (as you increase dimensions and move over columns in thedepicted GUI) that are not depicted in FIG. 14. They would be located inthe open space between the top button and the diagonal button in the3rd-5th columns. More of these Use selections would allow modificationof or conversion to other measures from defaults referring to (unit ofmeasure of) Values of objects depicted in the column of an AFFIRM GUI orstored in a dimension of an AFFIRM Domain. When the buttons or objectsare Types they are diagonal header buttons like the double-digit buttonsin FIG. 14. In the preferred embodiment the LID of these diagonalbuttons, and therefore the location where the files and records thesebuttons represent are found/stored, are a concatenation of the LID forthe item chosen in the previous column and the LID for the option chosenin the column header. When the buttons or objects are Entities(individuals, persons, etc.) they are Item buttons like the diagonal onein FIG. 14.

Among other things this data structure enables entities, processes, andtheir properties to be organized according to a method that facilitateslanguage processing.

AFFIRM enables the pragmatic use and development of language (real-timedynamic communication process between one or more individuals withinherent or agreed structure) and other human culture (tools, artifacts,etc.) by enabling users to create and negotiate shared concept meaning(“what we mean”), apply concepts to specific contexts and objects (“bywhat we say”), exchange digitized words or symbols (or other creations)and the real objects they represent through different mediums and media(“when we talk about what we do”). The way our data structure enablesstructures of data to fluidly move (as messages) between AFFIRM domainsand the other “three main aspects” (or elsewhere called “basicelements”) of AFFIRM (Process, Data Store as in Domain, and Interface,as shown in FIG. 12), as well as the way an object can be represented inall appropriate states (UBDS) (of a generic or global socioeconomicmodel) plays a large role in enabling this language processing. Thisstructure enables a processing logic to be inherent in the way data isorganized. And as a result it is practical to have AFFIRM methods orfunctions that can access/or be provided data incrementally fromdifferent UBDS's (or sources, whether external to AFFIRM or not, e.g.sensors distributed throughout a Subject's environment) as the functionis being processed. Also, the inputs (e.g. data to be aggregated) andoutputs (e.g. results of an aggregation) and work in process of eachmethod or function can be stored in their respective UBDS those with theprevious, subsequent and same CID as the method respectively. Thisenables a new level of real-time response (e.g. in the analytics ofdata/knowledge warehousing, mining and discovery, including instantalerts of threats and opportunities) of the AFFIRM system to changes inthe environment (that is not available in other systems). This responseincludes the ability of an AFFIRM based machine (device and/or DomainHome Subject) to discover knowledge (about its environment) and learnincrementally.

FIG. 15 pictures one way that the data structure is or can be applied tocreate a Data Dictionary in such a way that it embeds process andintelligence. As a result artificially reasoned moves or actions orrecommendations or decisions (or real options, etc.) can be made orfollowed by the system, at the complete discretion of and on behalf ofthe Home Subject (HS) who is always in control of and responsible forthe domain that represents the data and eventually triggers theenactment of (at least it's affirmation of it's part) a move or change.The arrows in the figure represent the way this data can be aligned in ageneric model and/or processed in a generic algorithm (that is designedto mimic aspects of human common sense or cognition) to visualizeoptions and make intelligent (common sense) recommendations. The HomeSubject can optionally allow certain decisions (actions, moves, etc.) tobe processed automatically through to actualization (through a standardsequence of state sequences (CID method processes) based on settingconditions for when HS (of a PD or owner of another AFFIRM Domain)involvement in control is required. This does not abdicate the HS fromresponsibility for actions implemented by its Domain, as these actionsare only able to be transacted as a result of the Domain owner'sexplicit settings. This means that although AFFIRM Domains may appear tooperate as autonomous agents, they are actually dependent on the ownersexplicit or implicit direction, and therefore responsibility of legalpersons for actions implemented through AFFIRM (for both good and badresults or outcomes) is maintained and thus the security of humans andtheir AFFIRM networks are enhanced.

The multi-layered card layout in FIG. 15 is intended to demonstrate onesignificant way that data about relationships between object and theirproperties can be represented in our data structure. (e.g. an a by bcorrelation matrix for each X). It also shows one of the generic uses ofthe multi-dimensional aspect of the data structure. This exemplarygeneric model (which is a unique and important aspect of AFFIRM) can beused to represent virtually any socioeconomic exchange relationship. Itexplains how knowledge about any socioeconomic situation can bestructured, represented and analyzed in a consistent way in AFFIRM.Surrounding boxes represent generic concepts or types of object classesto which specific usages or unities belong. (Also see the furtherexplanation of these terms) To give an idea of the generalness ofapplicability of this model as well as the AFFIRM data structure whichis used as the framework for this and other models, an X can be a role,product or just about anything else (such as merely a word) whichrepresent a component of an exchange process (such as a businesstransaction or communication dialogue) through which an IndependentSubject (as a W) or language user may complement given attributes,features, etc. (a) to achieve intended objectives, outcomes or benefits(b). Specific X, a and b objects can be singular or plural, general(concept and type) or specific (use and entity or individual), potentialor actual, and proposed or affirmed at each dimension level where theyreside. Objects can be held in common (e.g. in a ‘We’ PD) or shared(abide in multiple domains or sub-domains) wherever conceivably relatedor relevant when authorized by the author of the object. Specific usesor entities can belong to multiple generic Concept or Type Domains,respectively, as either the same identical instance or as a separateclone or copy of another instance. In the later case the object isconsidered a separate instance and has both common and unique parts toits object ID (LID) that act as a sort of model and serial number. Byaffecting data in this data structure (either through a HS directlycreating or modifying the data or indirectly as a result of the actualand potential actions, e.g. AFFIRM monitoring, updating, coordinationand management functions) change (effects and impacts of actions) isimplemented through AFFIRM Domains and/or attributed to AFFIRM Subjects.Through their Domains a user or IS/PS/HS maintains dominion and controlover the interrelationships and interactions between their Home Domainand other objects. Another alternative description of this embodiment isFIG. 20 (Customer Market Matrix).

There are other functions that are more or less multi-dimensional and/ortherefore more or less complex in scope and application that can berepresented in the AFFIRM data structure in a relatively similar way asdepicted in FIG. 15. These other functions are supported by just addingor subtracting a dimension or by using the different states inherent indata found and processed in different AFFIRM classes (according to CID)to flexibly translate/convert and consider data from among differentontology/metrology employed within a given AFFIRM network or domain.Also, by focusing on optimizing the potential and actual value createdin the different (X or other) categories or classes that representprocesses the Home Subject is involved in (e.g. consumption, production,etc.) and by negotiating the amount of credit or value the Home Subjectgets for its contribution to these joint processes, optimumapportionment of resources throughout an AFFIRM network or portfolio canbe arranged such that optimum value can be created from aggregate and/ordistinct perspectives, e.g. of either or both the perspective of theHome Subject (Personal Domain or portfolio, e.g. ‘You’ or ‘Me’) andgreater common good (shared portfolios of a given Home Subject, e.g.‘We’). So again the AFFIRM type of generically applicable socioeconomicmodel, whether exactly as shown in FIG. 15 and/or modified to includemore dimensions or other X perspectives or in other ways, can be used tomanage profit and/or welfare production in diverse socioeconomicsituations. A way to allow end users to modify the model shown in FIG.15 in the preferred embodiment is to enable users to use a simplegraphical user interface (GUI) to modify and add to the model and/or theway it is applied in their situation. For example different classes ofactual data can be accessed and processed by users easily clicking onbuttons to manipulate the “right side” states (CID codes) and metrologyidentifiers (LID's in a DC) to change and/or convert betweenquantitative measure of units for supply/demand/total(net balance) orinput/output/total(net balance) change tracking. Also “left-side” states(CID codes) and ontology identifiers (LID's in a DC) can be modified byusers to change and/or translate between qualitative conceptual orcategorical terms for switching views between showingvision/action/whole and/or potential/actual/whole objects. In this waythe user can control the way the model is to be applied, evaluated andviewed.

As a result of taking advantage of these AFFIRM functions, eachindependent individual subject (IS/PS/HS) can determine anticipated(planned) effects of any change they are potentially or actuallyinvolved in independently and whether a real implementation and outcomeshappened according to plan (i.e. were enacted as planned and hadintended effects). By explicitly recognizing and partitioninginterdependent actions into secure common domains (e.g. ‘We’ likedomains) these interdependent actions can be better understood by allinvolved but also treated by others outside this domain as independentand/or exogenous of their domains. Interacting objects (e.g. parties orparticipants in an interaction, whether human social or otherwise) aremore likely to reduce the gap between perfect/ideal and actual awarenessof complex correlations and other (perhaps higher moment) aspects ofcomplex interactions (complementary causes or actions that are mostlikely to achieve valued effects, outcomes or impacts). Also outsiders(as in their domains that are modeling their independent behavior) canthen treat the net effects of this interdependent group that is actuallyindependent or exogenous of them as independent. This way commonassumptions of statistical analysis used on the sciences can be met andinferences using these methods in AFFIRM domains can be made morereliable and valid. Also, as a result of the knowledge that is capturedin AFFIRM domains and distributed through AFFIRM ‘updating’ normallytacit knowledge can be coded and experience can be better used to guidefuture action. Also the results of future action can be added topreviously coded experience and the models encapsulated in AFFIRMdomains are updated and/or improved. Also, as the subjects are able totransparently view and readily share (an as needed, desired andauthorized basis) all information or knowledge that is about what theydo through their Personal Domains, the ability for not only AFFIRMdomains (user tools) but also users themselves to learn is greatlyenhanced. So just by using the invention to participate in the changeprocess each independent individual subject is able to receiveinformation that enables them to anticipate potential changes andeffects and compare these with actual. Another mechanism stores thisexperiential information (appropriately distributes the informationwithin and between domains through a process called ‘updating’ or‘downdating’) and uses it to guide future action. Also by facilitatingcommensurate compensations of correlatives within and betweeninteracting domains (i.e. credits equitably distributed among thoseinvolved in an interaction for potential or actual impacts mutuallyrecognized within a common domain, e.g. ‘We’, as being attributable to agiven potential or actual cause or AFFIRM Subject action), the systemcan maintain accounting books that are naturally partitioned andconsolidated according to the way domains and their subjectsself-organize and codes shared learning based on experience in theprocess.

The disclosed invention acts as an efficient and effective universallyapplicable protocol for planning, regulating and improving interactionbetween entities. Valid knowledge and synchronous coordination isachieved among real individual subjects using the AFFIRM invention andbetween one or more of these individual subjects and their environmentthrough asynchronously using the AFFIRM data exchange and messagingprotocol to negotiate change.

Prior to this invention when individuals would work in collaborationwith other individuals that have different ideas about how data shouldbe typed and structured the potential for communication problems wasgreat. Individuals in different locations using different words todescribe the same “concept” would not be able to communicate about that“concept” using computers because those two words would be handled as ifthey were two separate “concepts”. Now with this protocol forinteraction, that is flexible enough to allow each user to describe andcontrol their work (from their perspective) and still be on the “samewavelength” with other collaborators using different vocabulary,interaction can be more effectively planned, communicated andcoordinated between independent entities and their hubs. (See FIG. 16—Evolution of Communication Networks-Hybrid) The new hybridpossibilities enabled with the present invention provide the ability toflexibly facilitate interpersonal inter-hub communication of structureddata that can still be specified differently by each independent entity,and this is now possible and practical to implement down to the level ofthe individual. As a result a new generation of valuable applications(built on the backbone) of existing networks is possible.

Historically computers have not been able to securely and indisputablydistinguish between you, me, we or some other entity in a flexible waythat would enable the recombinant synthesis of organizations made up ofmultiple other individuals without program code being specificallywritten to handle each of the details. Now AFFIRM has been created toenable each and every individual subject (e.g. a unit of analysis,assignment or attribution in an experiment or quasi-experiment) to beseparately identified, independently represented, and self-managedthrough a secure and coordinated real-time interaction analysis andprocessing system. The present invention does this and as a resultalleviates unauthorized data access, “identity theft” or impersonationof ones identity that is not your own, and unauthorized control of annon-consenting individual (all while providing the other benefitsdescribed).

Again, a common person lacking sophisticated computer programming skillsis not able to do this (as well) with (other) current tools, but isempowered to do this with AFFIRM based systems. For a computerizedservice to effectively be responsible for performing these regulatingfunctions it needs to have to “think” as if it were an individual fromthat one individuals perspective, with all data about the worldorganized from that one individuals perspective, and with the ability tounderstand and communicate with other individuals from that oneindividuals perspective. A basic reason why everyday computers areincapable of doing this today is because they do not distinguish betweenthe subject and the object(s) involved in an action. Therefore, this isa very important aspect of the present invention.

(Please see FIG. 8, the value web hub chart showing domains forYou/Me/We). These charts demonstrate how users are virtually made up oftheir relationships with other AFFIRM Subject entities (or Ws). Withineach sector designated for a given (W) exchange partner, informationabout the objects exchanged with that partner (through ongoinginteraction) is kept. One of these sectors or “sub-domains” is evendesignated and maintained for the Home Subject itself, where the HS cancontrol and maintain interactions between it's own parts. As a specificinteraction takes place, the involved entities and the objects shared orexchanged between involved entities are represented in each domain ofall involved entities in the sub-domain designated for exchange with therelevant or related external party (W) for each exchanged object (X)(within a process Type) from the individual domain owner's (or HomeSubject's or W's) subjective perspective.

It is useful to be able to maintain (persist) data (about past, presentand future interactions) from each individual subject's perspective ineach individual's exclusive data store or domain. This enables eachindividual to have exclusive control over data in their data store thatis about their future actions, to provide a transparent audit trailabout their decisions and actions (relative to other subjects), and topossess data about their past experience from which to learn andimprove. An individual using this type of system will be the only onethat can change their data. In this way, even though data is kept aboutall “Objects” related to an individual and interaction would still becoordinated between multiple individuals, from each individual'sperspective, only one individual would be able to change a particularpiece of data, the UBDU's or HO's that represent their side of aninteraction from their perspective. Again, there are at least two basicadvantages of this technique. First, each individual is able to havecomplete control of and responsibility for its own actions, and secondthe data management problem of needing write locks on data that canpotentially be changed by more than one individual is alleviated.

This enables the system to provide access to data and allow change orvariation of data according to the behavior of the individual (subject)within relationships in a way that is not only empowering to theindividual, but also facilitates the evolution of a knowledge base thatis able to support real-time reasoning and learning from theindividual's perspective. And in the process this helps transform theindividual and its partners in a positive way (that can also better forthe common good). The following chart shows examples of stages oftransformational exchange or interaction that take place betweenentities (The stages of emergence or development of an object, locatedin the first dimension which is similar to the way it works in otherdimensions, is shown in FIG. 19. The invention recognizes the importanceof and enables the control of the ability to intelligently determine ateach stage whether a particular partner should continue to interact withother partner(s) on a particular endeavor. At each decision point theanticipated value change resulting for the partner is checked (whetherit is anticipated to be a positive gain, relative to its opportunitycost) before making commitments to move on to further stages. (See FIG.17—Collaborative Innovation stages, FIG. 18—Partner Inspiration Matrix,and FIG. 19—Implementing a Class and Method(s).)

The best analogy I have seen for explaining this is to think ofrelationships between individual entities like a grapevine. For exampleone might think of parents to children as one thinks of a grapevine toits branches. The branches must be connected to the vine for it toflourish. By describing a relationship in this way, it becomes obvioushow one partner cannot thrive without being intimately interconnectedwith the other. The grafting of a branch to a grapevine is an effectiveanalogy that helps describe the type of intimate relationships that aremost fruitful or transformational. But how do we represent these typesof transformational relationship in a data structure such that a manmade device can use it to regulate a human's or other real entity'sinteraction with other real entities in their environment and manage thevalue created by that interaction? (See FIG. 18—Partner InspirationMatrix-Transformation or Value-Add Resulting from Interaction ofMultiple Real Entities.) This exchange and resulting value-add can takeplace between two or more domains at one or more levels of aggregationor abstraction.

This invention has made it possible for a common person to set up aprogrammed computer to delegate the actual implementation of interactionand manage value creation in any context. A common person can now set upa computerized service or system to do this. For example a web orInternet service, by instructing a computer to automatically model theirrelationships based on data about the outside objects they relate withand the state of those relationships. The states or status of therelationships change as exchanges or interaction happen between therelated parties. To facilitate this, the present invention firstprovides mechanisms or services that monitor and stage data about pastperformance of exchanges or interaction between related parties. Thisinformation is also able to be input from a human user or other physicalentity monitoring and input process. The present invention also iscapable of allowing humans to further control their future interactionand transformational impact by first manipulating data about proposedchange from their perspective. The present invention then uses theseinteraction plans to regulate the real implementation of the change orentity interaction on an as mutually agreed basis. The present inventionautomatically exchanges real objects and changes the state of therelationship between the parties based on mutually agreed or planned“interaction events”. By defining a universal “interaction protocol”that classifies data about “Objects” based on the state of therelationship between those objects and each individual subject involved,this invention is able to manage real interaction or transformationalchange processes between real entities.

Notice that, unlike other application “programs” (compiled orinterpreted computer instruction codes), an AFFIRM based application“program”, using this “interaction protocol” and other aspects of theAFFIRM invention, is not designed to only handle a specific type of“Object”. Therefore, an end-user that uses a specific domain orapplication program based on the AFFIRM invention to handle theprocessing of one type of “Object” can use the same domain or program tohandle any other type of “Object”. This flexibility, without requiringadditional “programming” (writing of programs), provides large benefitsover existing application “programs” and languages.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, first each newIndividual Subject (IS) (a user, person, field, concept, type or othermain object) (e.g. YOU), is provided a Domain. In the case of a person,a private or Personal Domain (PD) on a network (e.g. the Internet) iscreated and made accessible for the person. A PD stores and providesaccess to data that represents the private or semi-private network of agiven exclusive Person or Individual Subject (IS) (e.g. YOU). The HomeSubject (HS) is in complete control of its Domain or PD. A PD is ownedor possessed by the HS person. (e.g. YOUR PD belongs exclusively to YOU)

The HS is represented in the Domain or PD as the Subject. This Subjectcan be a Whole Entity (WE or see W below) or a part of a WE. This is oneaspect of how AFFIRM enables levels of relatedness or aggregation. Apart of one given Domain can incorporate a part of or all of anotherDomain, and the given Domain can represent part or all of a givenobject. In any case each Domain has an HS, characterized as the 0D Wwith X ‘spin’ (not X, as in an exchange object, but X as in 0, 1 or X‘spin’ or direction) in our preferred implementation. Other objectsrelated to the HS in some way and the status of the relationship betweenthese objects and the HS are reflected in an HS's Domain. These objectscan include other IS(s) and their potential (0 spin) or actual objects(1 spin) of exchange with the HS, as well as Concepts and Types (seebelow) that describe properties of the related objects. Among otherthings, these objects may include parts of public or semi-private sharedvocabularies or ontology and qualitative and quantitative knowledgeabout these objects.

This knowledge is represented in the structure, state and values of theobjects. See FIG. 15 showing the way certain aspects of knowledgeobjects can be logically structured and represented in a PD according toa generic socioeconomic exchange model embedded in the AFFIRM datastructure. In this case we describe multiple dimensions of a PD usingthe letters W, X, a and b and perspectives within the X dimension asConsumption (who), Production (what), Integration (how), Expert (why).Changes in the way the generic meta-model (and coinciding“visualization” algorithm) is implemented in a given AFFIRMimplementation or embodiment can vary without changing or diverging fromthe essential character of the AFFIRM invention. Again it is well knownthat AFFIRM data structures and methods, e.g. those used in“visualization”, can be modified, e.g. by using different types ofqualitative and quantitative data as well as by changing the number ofdimensions and/or perspectives, without changing their essentialcharacter. In fact it is this flexibility in application that gives theuniform AFFIRM data structures and methods that make AFFIRM unique andgive AFFIRM its power. By directly or indirectly labeling and valuingIODO's (Concepts or Types) and IOOs (Uses or instances of Concepts orTypes) in these W, X, a and b dimensions of a domain, a user can givedifferent meaning to these objects. For example, knowledge may beincorporated in a Domain and used in visualization as probabilities,correlation or regression coefficients, etc. describing the likelihoodof coexistence or causal relationship between different concepts orinstances and other concepts or instances (disjointed or otherwise). Forexample, correlation values would be found within the a by b matrix fora given X (Type exchange object) in a W (Whole Concept) and would beinterpreted as within “W” in the context of “X” given “a” what would bethe likelihood of “b”. Various combinations of inductive and/ordeductive (including adductive) reasoning methods in AFFIRM use thisknowledge to make logical inferences or insertions, recommendations andactions. The arrows in FIG. 15 show how an embodiment of one such uniqueand valuable reasoning method called “visualization” functions oroperates.

The multi-layered cards in FIG. 15 represent data about relationshipsbetween object instances and their properties. (e.g. an a by bcorrelation matrix for each X). Surrounding boxes represent genericConcepts or Types of object classes to which specific Usages or Entitiesbelong. An X is a role or process in which an IS or language user isinvolved. X, a and b objects can be singular or plural, general (Conceptand Type) or specific (Use and Entity), potential or actual, vision oraction, incoming or outgoing, and/or proposed or affirmed. Objects canbe held in common or shared and abide in multiple domains or sub-domainswherever relevant, by any other object that is conceivably related. Usesor Entities can belong to multiple Concepts or Types, respectively, aseither the same identical instance or as a separate clone or copy ofanother instance. In the later case the object would be considered aseparate instance. By affecting data in this data structure (eitherthrough a HS directly modifying the data or indirectly as a result ofthe actual and potential actions (monitoring, coordination andmanagement functions) relegated to or implemented through a Domain by anIS. Through their Domains a user or IS maintains dominion and controlover the interrelationships and interactions between its Domain andother objects.

Each PS or Personal Subject involved in a network is in complete controlof at least one Domain or PD that they have exclusive rights to as theHS. Each of a PS's exclusive Home PDs (HPD) keep track of planned andactual actions and the other ISs with which those actions interact. EachHPD stores the Ps's or HS's own data from their perspective about therelationships and interactions in which it is involved. An PS's HPD hasa subjective view of everything it is in control of (its assets,actions, etc.). Although an PS can have more than one HPD, an PS willusually want one W HPD where all of the PS/HS's data and access pointsto their other, optional, HPD's are consolidated. This enables a W HS orPS to manage and coordinate itself in a holistic way.

A PD (as well as other domains) also has a reflexive view of everythingthat it is (not in control of but that it is) interdependent on for theinteractions in which the HS is involved. These reflexive views ofrelated ISs (as well as CSs, etc.) and their objects represent theextended existence of a HS and it's interdependencies with otherSubjects and other objects with which the HS interacts. These reflexiveviews are encapsulated in Input and Output Objects (IOOs) passed asmessages between Domains (e.g. PDs) from a source Domain to adestination Domain. Each HS has control of the IOOs that pass in and outof its Domain. These IOOs represent offers (proposals) and acceptances(affirmations) of agreements to specific action, and commitparticipating PS/ISs to enact these specified actions at an agreed time.Each PS or IS owner is in control of its own actions or the interactionsthat it is involved in because every action requires proactive consentas either a proposition or affirmation by each party involved. Thesespecific actions must be completely explicitly or implicitly negotiated.(See CIOOT below)

An HS can propose a given exchange or interaction with other IS(s) in acommon network, but other IS(s), or Prospective Interaction Partners(PIP), must then affirm the proposal before it can be enacted. A PDkeeps track of all the IOOs that might, will, have or could have beenpassed between the HS and its Partner PS's Domains (as well as withother interacting AFFIRM Domains). The way partnerships are controlledand monitored as they are being set-up is similar to how thenegotiations of relationships with other newly identified (created,recognized or registered) objects are coordinated. (See FIG. 19) Apartner registration would be an example of a main object registrationin the first or lowest dimension of a domain. There is a particularsequence of stages that a prospective partnership or other potentialexternal object must go through before it becomes an actual part of agiven Domain. See the way this works in the Zero Dimension (0D) in FIG.19—Implementing a Class and Method(s). This works in a similar way, butoften automatically (depending on user choices/settings), in eachsuccessive dimension, 1D, 2D, 3D, etc.

This same process or sequence is happening (tracked or controlled) inthe Domains that a given Domain is interacting with, only one Domain'sproposed object is the other Domain's accepted or affirmed object and/orone domains incoming object is another domains outgoing object, etc. Asmentioned above, the same sort of sequence involving development andinteraction or negotiation happens on higher dimension levels asinternal process loops inside each sequence on the lower level. Theproperties being manipulated at each stage in the sequence (as the CID'sare changing) can mean slightly different things and can be interpretedin slightly different ways. Nonetheless the processing happens in thesame way. For example, instead of potential (0) and actual (1) in thepreferred implementation on the left side of the CID these propertiesmean vision (0) and action (1) on a higher dimension level. You canstill see that both 0s mean something planned and is mean somethingimplemented. It just involves another set of digits in the CID to addthe ability to record these additional higher dimensional states for theobjects represented in those dimensions. Similarly in the preferredimplementation the properties on the right side of the CID mean deductor supply (1) and induct or demand (0) instead of propose (0) and affirm(1). You can see that both are a matter of give and take. To incorporatethese higher dimensional states or properties it is accomplished in thepreferred implementation CID in a similar way to that shown in FIG. 19(e.g. X-X). Another set of digits (left and right) is merely added foreach added dimension (e.g. XX-XX).

By enabling the PS (or other HS) to use the above procedure to controlrelationship development and object interaction this aspect of theinvention provides a way to tightly regulate the security of a domain(e.g. an individual's PD). PD's presumably have private information inthem and therefore it would be in the PS's or IS's interest to keep theinformation private. The development of a partnership is the first stepin providing at least the potential for a partner to access or receivesome of the private data inside a domain. The above mechanism orprotocol charted in FIG. 19 also provides a way for coordination of theinteraction of multiple domains and there PS/IS's, e.g. creation ofpartnerships.

There are vocabularies or pieces of ontology (that include Concepts,Types and Uses that can be non-active instance objects, usually withoutmass Value) that are shared between AFFIRM Domains as IOO Templates(IOOT's) with one or more IOOs. These IOO Templates are shared toprepare PS/ISs for asynchronously envisioning and negotiating aparticular exchange. They are made up of one or more Input OutputDefinition Objects (IODO). An IODO is a generic form of one or more IOOthat can be a Concept or Type or Use and/or or some other AFFIRM Subjectfrom some other AFFIRM Domain, e.g. Individual, Personal, etc. of somekind that is not specifically active, i.e. designated as actual asapposed to potential, with unit or mass quantity Value until allinvolved actors in an interaction approve the change.

Again, in the preferred embodiment, each of the IODOs refers to adesignated Concept or Type object or subject and like any IOO isrepresented by a record comprised of different fields. These fields,which can and are sometimes left blank or unspecified (and sometimes maynot even be included in a particular AFFIRM instance), include a word orother symbol (Label), a definition, a LID, a CID, a Value, a Rank andpossibly other information such as Number Type, Media Type etc. Thesefields are used in a uniform way for each record, so the system canallow users to flexibly add new objects represented by unique new IOOrecords and still know how to handle them. There may be multiple IOO orIODO records that refer to the same Concept or Type in differentsituations, i.e. in domains and sub parts of domains. The IOOs words andother symbols (e.g. Label, media) used to refer (as in normal spokenlanguage) to a specific Concept or Type can differ at the discretion ofdifferent HS users and is recorded as a specific Usage of the Concept inappropriate CD or Entity of the Type in TD. This helps give the systemits pragmatic language and metric processing capabilities needed tofacilitate the Pragmatic Web, i.e. the ability for network users tocommunicate at a new level of understanding.

In the preferred embodiment, a Concept Domain (CD) is used to reflectthe usage of a Concept including the users (partners in use) of theConcept and symbols they use to refer to the Concept. In the case of aCD the Symbol List (SL) has a record of each symbol used to refer to theConcept and the Concept List (CL) has a record of each Domain (user, IS,or other concept) using or related to the Concept. As a result, not onlyare all the symbols and the users of a given Concept recorded, but also,the context in which the concept is used is also recorded. Thepopularity of different words for describing the Concept in differentcontexts is also monitored and this is used to know what word a domainis to use in a particular context (to refer to a specific concept, forthe purpose of a human users understanding). Also, when a IS changes theword or other symbol used to refer to a particular Concept in a Domainunder their control, this is reflected in this Concept's Concept Domain(CD).

Through this mechanism a word or symbol user impacts the evolution ofontology, concepts, words or symbols used and their meaning within aCommunity. This also is how an IS (usually as a PS) and a PS/IS's PD/IDis able to understand and control interaction with the environment. This(language) processing mechanism can also be used to enable an IS (or PSas well, since a PS is an IS) controlled Domain to synthesize visual,auditory or other symbols into commands that humans and other entitiesthat participate in the (semiotic) network can understand.

This processing mechanism can also be used to enable a Domain toefficiently and effectively synthesize real (physical objects) intoproducts and packages of products that humans and other entities thatparticipate in the network expect to receive. Once an exchange agreementis made between PS's and IS owners using the AFFIRM invention, the PS'sand IS's are obligated to actually make the agreed physical changes orexchanges (e.g. send out the packages of products) and the PS HS (or ISowner) of a particular HD can set their HD to automatically enact agreedphysical changes. In this way the disclosed invention enables andrequires a Domain to control both physical and metaphysical (e.g.mental) aspects of an PS/IS's environment.

So through this mechanism PSs and IS owners connected by an AFFIRMnetwork understand each other and can negotiate and enact agreementsabout real changes. Again, once future changes are negotiatedasynchronously by PSs/IS owners, the Domain interfaces of these PS/ISowner's regulate the enactment of these (physical) changes in theenvironment. These enactments involve physical transformational changesin the PS/IS's and other physical entities that the IOO's actually referto. Again an IOO refers to a real (quantity) whole or part of a specificobject or entity involved in the real change. The amount of change isdetermined by the value of the IOO record for each part of an agreedchange. Although there is a standard unit of measure, the IODO recordsin an IOOT describing a change may also encapsulate alternative units ofmeasure and conversion ratios used to quantify, and if necessaryconvert, the amount of change. The measure conversion function works ina similar way to how language concepts are transformed and translatedduring or as a result of use.

In this way the disclosed invention enables AFFIRM Domains (TD, CD, IDand PD of CS, PS, e.g. a PS's exclusive PD(s) and/or owned ID(s)) tosynthetically create understandable commands and real changes throughinteraction with (other entities in) their physical environment.

Lets get more specific about more aspects of the invention. The IOOT isused to efficiently and effectively communicate the language used todescribe the context for the activity or change to be negotiated. TheIOOT is also used to prepare the specific path within the recipientsdata storage system that will be used to store information aboutparticular interactions. IOOTs are made up of one or more chains ofIODOs. Within the records that define or make up these IODOs is a LinkID (LID) that defines the object ID used to name and link to the nodesin the (relative) paths through which data is organized in a domain.LIDs are used in related domains to demarcate where within the domain orin relation to the subject of the domain the object identified by theLID is related. If an entire DC made up of all LINK IDs is used it thenprovides an absolute path as opposed to a relative path from the currentlocation.

One or more of these LIDs make up what is called a Domain Chain (DC).DC's can be used to know the absolute path to anywhere in an AFFIRMbased (search) space or network or a relative path to data located in aDomain relative to an objects current location. The data will be locatedin a file or Uniform Basic Data Set (UBDS) by the name of the activeCID. DC's are represented both persistently in the organizing structureof stored data and in memory. DC's are used by Domain data interfaces toknow where data is located (for read and write operations).

The IOODT's do not represent (potential or actual) change itself, butare used to organize or give structure and meaning to what is describedand negotiated in communications or representations about potential oractual as well as proposed or affirmed change. IOODTs are syntacticalrepresentations used to describe a context of action, not representativeof a certain “completely specified” action with a certain force orextent. An IOODT can be exchanged between Partners once the FIRST PHASEpartnership development process is complete, where an envisionedpartnership (PIP) is not only “proposed” but also “affirmed”.

The defined paths of a DC identify locations in which data is storedabout a given AIOO. For example, data about a specific most granularlydefined change (See IOO Value's below) is found in the IOO at the end ofa specific DC within a CIOOT. (For a depiction of this see example inthe last or lower right button (other than n) labeled with “0” as theLID and 11111-11111 as the CID in FIG. 14) This DC is identified as astring of one or more LIDs of an AIOO and its parents, as well as theLIDs of the selected Options from the AIOO on down. Each of these LID'sis a node in the path to the IOOs in a represented IOOT or to the realchange data in a represented CIOOT. The DC represents the context andthe CID of the AIOO represents the state of the negotiation of thechange represented by the IOOT both before and after it is complete. TheCID is also the name of the node (or file) located at the nexus of thechange represented by the IOOT.

Once CIDs are completely specified and OVs or Values in recordsrepresenting IOOs describe when, how much and to what extent a changewill take place, then a CIOOT is defined that can represent a change inits entirety. A CIOOT must have all the elements or IOOs of a changecompletely specified. An IOO of a change, including future prospectivechange, is completely specified when each state of each object involvedin a change is known by all parties involved. This is the case when theCID is made up of all 0s and/or 1s (no X's).

Again, other objects related to a HS and the states of interactionobjects (or status of the relationship between these object and the HS)are reflected in a HS's Domain. These related objects and relationshipsare represented using Link IDs (LID) (in our preferred implementation)and relationship status IDs (called Class IDs or CID s in our preferredimplementation). The CID represents the status of an object. A CID isused to describe all the various states objects might have or that mustbe known about all the objects used to describe a given change in itsentirety in a CIOOT. A CIOOT, or a real envisioned and/or (partially orwholly) enacted interaction, can only be exchanged between “partners”once the SECOND PHASE of the “partnership” development process iscomplete (where an enacted partnership is “proposed” and “affirmed”).

Again, these templates or strings of one or more IOOs, complete orotherwise, can only be passed between one IS and another when bothparties agreed to relate (i.e. have completed the partnershipdevelopment process). Partnerships are envisioned in the FIRST PHASE (0in the preferred implementation) or enacted/actual in the SECOND PHASE(1 in the preferred implementation). In addition to partnerships, theother IOOs (which could represent anything else, information orotherwise, that can be passed between partners) are also in one of theseand other evolving states of readiness for exchange, or passing of an X(exchange object) between Domains. In this way each Domain keeps trackof the current state of all IOOs that are part of interactions in theprocess of being planned or enacted. Current Interactions (CI's) areplanned for enactment sometime from the current time they are affirmedinto the future. Past Interactions (PIs) are interactions planned orenacted in the past that are logged in Domain archives organizing IOOsof all PI's by CID as they happen or expire. CI's are organized by CIDin each IS Partners' Domain and include anticipated date/time of the CIin addition to other information.

All data is not only partitioned by IS, but in the ultimateimplementation would also be represented as packages of single units,according to the smallest measurable unit size of each piece of aninter-partner exchange. These Unitary Objects (UOs) can be exchanged oneunit at a time as well as in groups of units, when relevant, with theother IOOs with which they are exchanged in a given interaction at aninstance in time. A Uniform Basic Data Unit (UBDU) is the way each IOOis represented in a Domain in which it belongs. It is comprised offields or pieces of information for each of the fields mentioned in the“Terms and Software Objects” list above. One or more UBDU(s) make up aset or group of UBDU(s) called a Uniform Basic Data Set (UBDS). A UBDSincludes UBDU(s) that describe Parents, Options, Class, Items, etc. thatare related to the data in the UBDS. The UBDUs (items or records) arecomplete IOOs with CIDs the same size as the CID Name (filename) of theUBDS and has all specified states (0 or 1) for each (two) digits, forevery dimension of the CID in the preferred implementation.

The Active IOO (AIOO) is the UO or IOO at the nexus or interior anchorpoint of a DC of particular interaction. It is represented by the ActiveUBDU that is selected in the Interface when the HS chooses to enact oractualize a change. It is the point at which a IOOT whether active ornot diverges from one Item IOO per dimension to multiple. By setting theactive point prior to sending the sender determines the context andgranularity of what is to be sent. Then when the recipient receives thedata it includes the DC and other information necessary to put it in theright place. This sending and receiving can be set to be doneautomatically. When receiving data you have rights to control you canreceive in different places than it was sent from. In this way data canbe moved from its current location to any other location. This functioncan be used to change the location or establish an additional locationfor data. If the user desires the same data objects to be updated in theother locations when it changes somewhere else, the user can elect tohave this done. This is controlled and managed through author and usetracking. This mechanism can be used to capture experience orexperimental data in one location and have it update detail and summaryrecords of this experiential data in another location.

This AIOO has a time/date value that is the time/date at which theinteraction is to actualize. All interactions are made up of UOs or IOOswith completely known states. These known states are negotiated andagreed to between interacting partners during the planning process priorto actualization of the agreed changes. Once the AIOO is triggered by atimer (attached to an all X file), all the sub processes of which agiven interaction is made up are initiated. The actualization of theinteraction is represented in the form of each IOO that was intended tochange as a part of the interaction in an affirmed actual state with apast time/date. (Also in the preferred implementation the 0D Quant Statepart of the CID representing the stage grouping of a UBDS that is nowturned from X (potential) to 1 (actual) and the change is complete andarchived.

A Domain, its structure, and its coordinated interaction with otherDomains enable a network of interacting Subjects to coordinate, manageand/or simulate interaction and sharing of IOOs that can represent anyobject of exchange (including revenues and expenses) in an economic orecological system. As a result, the system implementation of the presentinvention enables the planning, simulating, actualizing, organization,motivation, development and control of manmade networks. An embodimentof the invention can also enable simulation of and/or interaction withnatural networks, such as evolving biological ecosystems or communities,neural networks in brains, or concept and word networks in ontology.Ontology are made up of shared vocabularies or agreements on what wordsare to be used to communicate specific concepts and/or describe certaininteraction between Domains of concern to particular knowledge domains.

IOOs that are a part of a given interaction are stored in the ISs Domainas reflections of the way the interaction is stored in the Domains ofinteraction Domains or partners. For example, in an IOO describing apartnership (in the 0D first dimension) we would have information aboutthe partner in a ISs Domain. The information about themselves, the HS,is assumed to be about the currently active Domain of the IS. In thisway a Domain only needs a single record to be a particular reflexiverelationship, e.g. for an AIOO describing a partnership, around which aninteraction takes place. Because each party to an interaction hascontrol of whether it participates in a specific interaction or changeand has complete control over specific records that describe their partof the change, the system not only enables self-determination for eachIS involved in an interaction, but also enables the system to manage theconcurrent writing of data about a specific change, without requiringthe prevention or management of the otherwise possible scenario wherethe same data record or individual IOO to be changed by more than oneparty at a specific time. Therefore, the system alleviates the need tosolve the previously unsatisfactorily solved problem of how to manageconcurrent writes of the same data record field by multiple users in atthe same time. As a result the system enables each HS of a PD to haveexclusive control of specific changes to current state information whilestill enabling the free flow and coordination of change in data and thereal objects the data represents.

An embodiment of the invention in the technical arts is capable ofsimulating, enabling and/or enacting simultaneous change in multiplerespective Subjects or their Domains at a distance. Therefore, themethod of this invention is one way to explain the Bell phenomenon inquantum physics. Each partner in an in an interaction, must trust thatthe planned future interactions or changes to the current state of IOOsrepresented reflexively in different HS Domains will be changedaccording to previously agreed parameters negotiated by involvedpartners. When using the System, users are involved in a negotiationprocess that enables any Partner to initiate (Propose) a particularchange to one or more related IOOs. Then the other Partner must decidewhether to agree with or affirm this Proposal. For example, if one partywants to share in a partnership with another IS, they would theninitiate or propose a partnership with the prospective Partner throughtheir Domain. Then the prospective Partner would be sent a Message, (acommunication packet comprised of one or more IODOs), about the proposedPartnership. This prospective Partner would then see this proposal andhave an opportunity to agree to (affirm) the partnership.

An PS/IS is able to send a partner whatever IOOs the PS/IS authors.There is a dictionary that keeps track of everything an author (HS of aDomain) creates Parts of a Domain can be sent on an as needed basis bysetting the active point at the context and level of granularity thesender desires to send the recipient. The sender only sends what theywant so share with the partner. In this way an author has total controlof the content that it creates and shares. Also, a “use dictionary”(points to and/or) is comprised of a domain for every type or conceptthat is authored by and/or available to a domain. This keeps track ofall the location(s) where everything created is sent and used, so whenthe data changes, those users (who elect to be) can be updated. This ishow all separate Domains are kept in synch with each other.

Within Domains, data about IOOs move between stages, or staged datalocations indicated by the CID (filename) according to the state theseIOOs are in at a particular stage in the negotiation process. Domainskeep track of the Current State of everything related to the HS. Thecomplex relationships between interrelated aspects of a change orinteraction are monitored and controlled by representing IOOs onmultiple dimensions in a Domain. IOOs represented at each dimension areable to move or change freely within the dimension in which they arerepresented, within the confines of the set state of all objectsrepresented in previous or lower dimensions. The IS is provided controlover change to IOOs through an Uniform Interface (UI), which presentsthis complex multi-dimensional data about pending interaction in a formthat can be understood and controlled by the PS/IS. A user of a GUI, orother entity implementing AFFIRM, is able to set the state and Domainlocation of objects it is interested in managing (or viewing) at aparticular point in time. Multiple perspectives or views of data aboutcurrently pending changes (planning decisions or actualizing actions)can be accessed and controlled by the PS/IS in the UI. The PositionViews (PV) are able to show different perspectives of the same contextor IOOT. Therefore, the system enables individuals to view and managedata about (future) change from the perspective of different roles. Agiven PS/IS can view and control its data from these multipleperspectives, or in a situation where an PS/IS is managed by more thanone person (e.g. a group or an organization), each person can see theorganization from the authorized perspectives or Position Views (PV s)that are appropriate for their roles within the IS.

As the states of IOOs change they move into successive staging areas forobjects in the particular state to which they are changing. Every dataset comprised of data for a particular aspect of an interaction isgrouped according to state and is linked to other IOOs in the same andother dimensions describing other details about the specificinteraction. A particular interaction has multiple related IOOs thathave common states and reflexive Link ID s (LID s) in common dimensions.This commonality exists for all dimensions from the AIOO on back throughthe LID of the Domain Chain for previous dimensions to the firstdimension which identifies the specific IS with which the HS isinteracting. Each of these commonalities, an AIOO and its ancestors(parents), has a reflexive LID with one that exists in the interactingIS's Domain. For example, if the HS has money it is exchanging for aproduct from a partner IS, the partner has the HS's money, representedas an IOO with a money LID and value, in the reflexive location (withthe same Class ID (CID) on the left side and the CID and the opposite(in/out) properties on the right side) denoting a particular reflexiveplace in the related Domain. This is the method used by a partner (saythe original HS mentioned above) in their Domain to represent the othersproducts which the HS plans to exchange for.

Both sides of a reflexive exchange in a particular state like this arerepresented in each of the given Domains in the same CID location withreflexive LIDs. The same IOO is represented in exchanging Domains (withthe same Class ID (CID) on the left side and the CID on the right sidebeing opposite) They are in different parts of each Partner's Domain asa result of having the same LIDs (except the main 0D parent) anddifferent but complementary or opposite Quantitative States (Quant S's)(In/out) in each dimension, (the right side the CID in our preferredimplementation). In our preferred implementation the right side of theCID has opposite signs or spins to designate the complementary state ofthe SAME IOOs in each partner's domains.

Successive dimensions after the AIOO included in a given interactionfocus would have the opposite state (represented in a specific dimensionor digit of the CID) in each of the Partners. The Qualitative States(Qual Ss) would be the same. Also, all commonalities in a row arerecorded in a Domain Chain (a grouping of successive LID s). So eachDomain Chain (DC) in a given Domain has an equal and opposite DC for apartner domain. Complete IOOs are ready for exchange. Opposing sides orPS/ISs of an interaction represent opposing IOOs, e.g. money paid forproducts, in the same CIDs in their Domains in the Qual S properties aswell as the Quant S properties of CID. They have reflexive LID s and thesame IOOs in opposing Domains with opposite Quant Ss for each dimensionand the same LID s except the far left IS LID which is used to reflectthe opposing partner's LID or Domain location in each case.

Actually the left side Qual Ss will also be opposite outside the 0Dfirst dimension when in opposing sides when the actual in one PS/IS isrepresented as potential in another. This is the essence of howPartnering can enable one PS/IS to capitalize on the resources or assetsof another PS. For example, if I produce a product and have it in stockthe product is actual in me (Qual S of 1 in preferred implementation)and the product is potential in you (Qual S of 0) if you are interestedin the possibility of buying the product. The money you are planning touse to pay for the product had better be actualized in you (Qual S of1).

In general, by using these structures and methods to become moreintimate with interaction partners, an AFFIRM user can better managecollaborative goal seeking. AFFIRM enables enhanced management,negotiation, coordination and change of many aspects of and objectswithin social networks. Much of the benefits of AFFIRM result from theway it provides an integrated solution to many of the common problemsexperienced when attempting to manage interaction in a social network.There are also several specific features or aspects of AFFIRM thatenable it to better address specific requirements of managing socialnetwork interaction. Again, the AFFIRM invention and these benefits arealso applicable to many other “social networking” situations other thansocial networks between and made up of humans. The social networks anAFFIRM based computing device can help manage can be networks betweenand made up of humans and other living things, computing devices, robotsand/or other devices from the nano to the macro scale. The point is thatthe AFFIRM based data structure or domain within a computing device issubject to human control and implements human effect on its environmentby regulating managed (planned) action. But the invention will bedescribed in terms of how it enhances security and performance in thisarea of application, specifically human socioeconomic networks.

AFFIRM is made up of models, methods and tools that enable it to providethese benefits. Specifically there is a generic service-oriented(socioeconomic) model on which the data structures are based. These datastructures are designed in such a way that they efficiently andeffectively support/enable AFFIRM methods that are used to develop andoperate AFFIRM based applications or tools (according to this model). Asa result of the AFFIRM models and methods, these AFFIRM based tools,including but not limited to computer network management, businesscommerce (exchange) applications or other systems based on AFFIRM, areable to develop, negotiate, guide and operate real interaction andtransformation in a flexible way that appears intelligent and logical.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of using AFFIRM in socioeconomic networkapplications is the ability to leverage resource productivity throughpartner interaction and collaboration (at Internet scale) withoutjeopardizing security of private information or other property.

Some of the other benefits of AFFIRM based tools include: non-technicalend-users can “program” and control their group process interactions;data partitioning by Individual Subject (IS) gives IS complete controlover their data; collaborative development and sharing of semiotic userdetermined metadata templates (packages for real object data that givethe data meaning) enables evolution of a universal and pragmaticcommunication medium; collaborative development and sharing of businessprocess templates (as data that represents negotiated change) enablesnimble-quick development of business management applications thatreflect business relationships; collaborative development and sharing ofbusiness process template (as data) enables nimble-quick development ofreal subjects and their objects; partner relationship and messagingmanagement prevents spread of junk mail, viruses and other forms ofattacks; dynamically gather synergistic partners into knowledge-basedonline collaborative networks; provide personal real-time workmanagement interface on any Internet device; coordinate interactiveplanning, agreement negotiating, group decision-making, and fulfillment;structure, filter, and aggregate applied knowledge and specificrecommendations on demand; manage the business side of knowledge-basedcollaboration and innovation.; integrates vertically aligned industryspecific socioeconomic entities (e.g. buyers and sellers) as well ashorizontal cross industry co-developers in coordinated value creationnetworks; interoperate with any existing web content, media, orapplication; integrate knowledge-based collaboration acrossplatforms/markets/domains/enterprises/etc; maintain strict security ofprivate and intellectual property; manages coordinated interaction ofmultiple individual domains; enables access and control from“light-weight” (e.g. wireless/portable) devices.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an RSVPortfolio(RSVP) comprises of several tightly integrated but independentcomponents—at server level and at client level. The client levelcomponent, called the RSVP Client, is basically a User Interface thatis, in our current implementation, displayed by either the client'sbrowser as an applet or by an application using Java Virtual Machine(JVM). The client applet is fetched by the browser from a Web serverwhereas the application resides locally and is loaded at the time ofexecution. The client also maintains a local database of recordsobtained from the server, performs calculations and communicates withthe different RSVP servers as needed. The RSVP servers listen toclient's requests, perform the requested operations and return theoutcome back to the client.

Basic Parts of the RSVPortfolio system: (a) server software providesweb, data and messaging services (b) client software makes requests toserver, as application or browser applet (c) browser applet running insecured “sandbox” requires synchronous communication.

Examples of communication include (i) Client Servercommunication-synchronous, bi-directional, temporary connections; (1)Server and client can be on same computer, even wireless handhelddevice; (2) Other servers including web and ftp can also be on the onedevice. (ii) Server to server communication through asynchronouspeer-to-peer messaging; (1) If initial try of send fails then it is putin queue for retrying later; (2) Partner initiation and affirmation(incl. validation of users/domains); (3) Send/Receive coordination andupdating; (4) Message oriented architecture; (5) Enabling asynchronouscommunication; (6) Efficient for Internet—doesn't require waiting forconnections; (7) Enabling scalability—doesn't require constantconnection; (8) Fault tolerant—will retry messages when not received.Next is (d) a Graphical User Interface—graphical software that enablesuser interaction with, for example, (1) toolbars—a user interfacecomponent that enables user to control Active function. GUI may alsoinclude (2) Active Window—Shows active domain component(s) or otherActive function such as: (i) IN-Setup and maintenance interface; (ii)Partners—setup/add/edit partner; (iii) Bi-directional link requiringinitiation and affirmation which prevents or alleviates one or more ofthe following: junk mail, spread of viruses, denial of service attacks,and/or hacker vulnerability.

Media Types that AFFIRM will contain and setup/add/edit: virtually anyapplication, device or media, HTML—web pages, streaming video and audio,PDF-protects text from copying, graph—graphic of range of values i.e.trend analysis, document—any document that can be viewed in browser,such as, MS-Office documents, telephony—voice over IP, InstantMessaging, Web based E-mail, File browsers, Any web based application,Any web enabled device, i.e. player/recorder, Any web media

Number Types that AFFIRM will contain and setup/add/edit: Default Numberformats, Nominal, $, Other Currencies, Calculations, Sums, Averages,Etc, which may be sorted or prioritized and allows for user definedformats.

Examples of other various types that AFFIRM can contain andsetup/add/edit: Items, Option, Ftp Servers, Lists of Active Components,Send (sends message comprised of Active Components to partner), Lists ofpotential recipient partners, Send to multiple partners.

Examples of steps included in the method include: Send it!—initiatessending of a message; Receive—receives message comprised of activecomponents from partner; Preview—previews message from a given partner;Receive It!—receives message to from a given partner; Set an ActivePoint; Include parents (yes/no); From this point down (yes/no);Overwrite (yes/no); Refresh—refresh client with a domain's most currentdata on server (note that this doesn't allow overwrite of componentsthat changed since read)

Also, another part of the Graphical User Interface is the DomainNavigator, which is a structured part of interface outlining componentsof a domain. Domain navigator further comprises components, which areobject (instance) represented by a button. Specific component types are,for example: Option (Column Header)—optional view or path throughdomain; Diagonal Header—link to and aggregate of items; andItem—individual components under diagonal headers.

Navigation conventions for RSVP include, for example, Clicking Header toActivate column and show its Items, and all Items and their sub Items insub columns are then considered Active. Next, clicking down arrow toscroll through Items in column, and clicking terminated down arrow to goto next set of Items in column. Next a user clicks any button once toactivate it and its linked media, and then clicks Item once to activateonly it and navigate over a column.

Further, clicking button a 2^(nd) time allows a user to edit thecomponent's properties. Properties include, for example: Label—shortidentifier for the component; Description—long text describing thecomponent; Quantity—a value measure for this component (instance);Number Type—type of value this component's quantity represents; MediaURL—link location of component program, file or media; Sharing linksprevents attaching/downloading problems; Media Type—type of program,file or media for this component; Label with all capital letters playsin same browser session; Label with non-capitals plays in separatebrowser session; Save—saves changes to the component instance;Replicate—replicates component to new instance; Upload—uploads to ftpserver and auto-records location in URL; Remove—removes instance fromDomain Navigator and archives; Find/Add—used to find/add components(Items and Options); Find—find Item/Option in column, domain or shareddictionary; GoTo—go to found column Item/Option; Replicate—replicatefound column Item/Option; Use—use found domain Item/Option not incolumn; Import—import found dictionary Item/Option not in domain;Create—create Item/Option not found (This prevents duplication, creatingonly nonexistent Item/Option)

Next the Graphical User Interface further comprises a Media Window.Items within the Media Window include, for example, Media—program, fileor media linked to component (Media plays in media window in right frameor in new browser session); New Browser Session—maintains media accesswhen other media is called.

Advanced Parts of the RSVPortfolio system include Business Objects,which comprise, for example: Domain—(at least) one per entity, i.e.patient, doctor, partnership, provider network; KnowledgeTemplate—component framework, i.e. OB primary preventive care; TemplateAuthor—expert that designs standard set of practices, i.e. MD, ACOG;Provider—performer/manager of service, i.e. physician, other providers;Service Relationship—ongoing shared process, i.e. patient/providersconnections; Resource—domain possession, i.e. time, info, money, space,equipment, energy, etc.; Deliverable—simultaneously occurring ServiceComponents, i.e. med procedure; Service Component—part of Deliverablederived from Resource, i.e. information; Decision Cycle—completeincrement of time for planning and delivering services; Phases ofExchange—groupings of certain types of interactions between domains;Exchange Protocol—model for orderly standards based, but organic,process flow; Beneficiary—process result owner, i.e. patient/health,provider/payment.

Processing features of the RSVPortfolio system include: PartnerSetup—initiates/affirms partner relationship, i.e. patient/doctorrelationship; Sending and receiving of messages comprised of ServiceComponents (i.e. easy sharing of medical information according to HIPPAregulations); Navigation of a domain, relevant applications, and media,i.e. easy access; Sharing Knowledge Templates, i.e. recommended medicalrecord best practice; Links automatically call program or media, i.e.other application or media display; Media version management—keepseveryone updated with current media version; InteractionModel—coordinates inter-domain planning, action, and learning; ServiceManagement—coordination of services, i.e. by primary physician, HMO;Relationship Management—direct result of use, i.e. doctor/patientcommunication; Purpose Driven—shared mission, i.e. patient healthplanning and monitoring; Survey research—evaluate partner needs, i.e.patient registration and review; Participant tracking—monitorsinteraction, i.e. provider/patient performance; Performance monitoringand reporting—graphs, reports and calculations; BenchmarkingResearch—turns tacit experience into documented knowledge; PortfolioManagement—Analyzes and Synthesizes the components of a portfolio.

Types of RSVP Servers include, for example, a main server. Main RSVPserver not only listens and handles client's requests, but it can alsocommunicate with other main or supporting RSVP servers on a peer-to-peerbasis to perform different tasks in a distributed fashion. All theservers are multi-threaded and can handle several requests concurrently.Any requests to the server from a client or from one server to anotherare made following a predefined request protocol, which may encapsulateother data structures that might be necessary for the request to behandled properly. Similarly, the responses from the servers are alsomade in a format based on predefined response protocol that encapsulatesa response code and any other data that might have been requested. RSVPUpload server acts as an adjunct server, which can either run as aseparate thread of the RSVP Main Server or independently on a separatemachine. It runs at a port different from RSVP server. The client'sbrowser applet or application requests to upload a document (could beany of the binary of text based formats) by posting a HTML form encodedusing multipart/form-data (as specified by W3's HTTP standard). When theupload server receives such a request, it spawns a new thread to handleit. The submitted data is parsed for the header, request fields andfiles submitted. Request fields contain values for the server's address,username, password and folder where the file is to be uploaded. Theupload server's thread serving the request then opens a connection tothe specified server and uploads the document. On success, anappropriate HTTP response is sent to the client along with a completeURL of the uploaded page, which now serves as the address of thedocument in the cyberspace. The unique feature of RSVP upload is thatthis address now becomes the URL field of the related record and issaved both on the local client database as well as the back end databaseon the main RSVP server.

Another type of RSVP Servers includes, for example, a calculationserver. Like upload server, it can either run on the same machine as themain server or on a separate machine. Several different kinds ofcalculations are to be performed by data server on a domain's data.These calculations are then relegated to the calculation server by dataserver to distribute the load.

Yet another type of RSVP Servers includes, for example, a messageserver. RSVP Message Server maintains a queue of messages forpeer-to-peer communications between different RSVP servers. Whenever anRSVP server tries to communicate with another server but fails, themessage is then stores in the queue of RSVP message server which thentries to resend the message at periodic intervals.

The data and file structures of the plurality of RSVP Servers includes,for example, a Uniform Domain Structure. In general, a domain is aphysical location in a server where data owned by an entity is stored.The name of the database is a combination of host address of the mainRSVP server and username.

All data and file structures will also comprise dimension, which is thehierarchical depth or linking in database. In a UI it is same as thenumber of columns of items.

Uniform Records form the core of RSVP data structure. All data files onthe server are written using this record. The fields are separated by a‘|’ character and the record is saved as a concatenated string.Similarly, on the client side all the records in the local database,which also directly correspond to buttons on the UI, are an instance ofthis record. A Uniform Record has following fields:

BID/CID: This field is called a CID on the server side and BID on clientside. A CID contains a number of ‘x’, ‘1’ or ‘0’ characters on eitherside of a ‘—’. The number of characters on the left side definesdimension of that record. Any record with equal number of characters oneither side of ‘—’ are called items whereas the ones with unequal sizesare called options. A BID on the client side defines type of record(identity or item), depth (dimension), index of the record in the listand the indices followed in the preceding records to reach thisparticular record;

Label—Label of the record;

Description—A detailed description of the record;

URL—Location of the media in the Internet/Intranet;

Media Type—The type of media to be used while showing URL of thisrecord; and

Number Type—Type of the value contained in the record, which is used forformatting the value being displayed and performing calculations on theserver side. It also defines min and max possible values and if thevalues (Items) shown are in any particular sorted order:

Value—Quantity as defined by number type;

Rank—position of the record within a file;

Link ID—A unique identifier of the record. When a record is copied froman original one, it inherits its link id which now defines therelationship between the two. It is generated randomly; and

Date/Time—of the creation of the record.

All files in the RSVP system have the same name as the identity recordthey contain. Records other than identity in the file are either optionsor items.

Further, there are objects in the RSVP system and they comprise types ofRSVP (User Creatable Knowledge) objects, for example, RSVP KnowledgeObjects. RSVP Knowledge Objects are user creatable and definable objectsthat populate an RSVP Domain as records and User Interface as Buttons.They are instances of Uniform Records containing all the fields requiredfor a complete record as defined above. On the server side, theserecords are maintained as lists under an identity record, including theidentity record itself, and on the client side they reside in memory asinstance of records and can be visually represented by the UserInterface as Buttons.

Additionally, there are Item Objects, which are instances of UniformRecord. They belong to a particular set or file of data by virtue oftheir BID/CID (see BID/CID above) and are listed below headers in theUser Interface. Headers comprise at least one or more of the following:Regular Items—Regular items are non-identity records in the data anditem button in the user interface. All the items belonging to anidentity record are listed as buttons in an item panel and arepositioned below the corresponding header (see Item Header below);Option Items—Options items are also non-identity records listed underoption identity records in the data and item button in the userinterface. They are also defined using Uniform Records, but rather thanbeing actual objects they form classes or categories that are separatelocations for data to reside that fit that class or category. DefaultOptions—A default option item is the first option item in the list andis a copy of the option header with only difference between the twobeing their CIDs. In a user's default view all the items and item headerare chained to by using link ids of default options. A user can specifya non-default option to be default, in which case the new option becomesthe header (identity) and first option item in the list.

More specifically, Headers are the “identity records” that identify thedataset they belong to. The Header records are called “identity records”because in a file system (on the server or client) it is the record thathas the same CID/BID as the file or table name. On the GUI this Headeris represented as a bigger button positioned over an Item Panel. This iswhy it is called a “Header”. The Item Panel is filled with a smallerbutton for each item record in the dataset.

For example, Regular Item Headers (Diagonal Headers in the UI) Regularitem headers occupy diagonal position in the knowledge navigation tableon the client's User Interface. On the server side their CIDs have equalnumber of characters on either side of a ‘—’ characters. The first digitin the bid is a 0 and second and third digits are equals. Regular ItemHeaders are located by an identifier that is a combination of link id ofan option having same dimension as the header and an item chosen in thepreceding dimension. Described another way, unique paths to all regularitems or diagonal headers are formed by a combination of the link of apreceding item and the option category to which this header belongs.Hence all the items belonging to the regular item or diagonal header areaccessible by following this unique path. Option Headers Option headeris the same as default option except for its CID. The CID of an optionheader defines it as the identity record on the data side. On the clientside, it appears as an option header button right above option panel. Itcan only hold positions in the 1^(st) row and any column except the1^(st). The cid of an option header has unequal number of characters oneither side of a ‘—’, and on the BID the second and third digits are notequal.

RSVP Knowledge Object instances (as described above) are stored as dataon the data server in a labyrinth of datasets that are located accordingto specific rules that depend on the specific situation. For examplebefore RSVP Instance Objects can be displayed on the GUI, the datadescribing these instances must be read from the server. Therefore theserver must link through the datasets to find the appropriate data for agiven client request. In this example then the GUI will be able todisplay all the appropriate RSVP Objects in the “Knowledge Navigator”described below under User Interface.

For the GUI example the data files for the first column in the UI arefound in data dimension 0 in datasets having CID filenames with onedigit on both the left and right sides of the CID i.e. X_X). The optionitem listings are found under the Option Header buttons that start inthe second column in the UI. They are still in data dimension 0 becausethe right side of the CID still only has one digit. Data instances forthese option items are found in the dataset name (CID) for successivecolumns determined by progressively adding one more digit on the leftside of the previous columns CID with the right side remaining with onedigit, (i.e. XX_X for column 2/dim 0 or XXX_X for column 3/dim 0, etc.)These datasets are kept at the same level (dimension 0) of the filesystem or dataset hierarchy (same level as the top level where thedomain begins).

The data for subsequent Diagonal Headers are in datasets (considered tobe in further dimensions down and listed in Diagonal Header buttonsprogressively one more row down for each additional column) that arekept in dataset locations, directories or folders with names that arederived by combining a Link ID from an item in the option file for thesubsequent column with a Link ID of an item in the preceding dimension.Once the new location is linked to, the dataset must be located for theitems in that next dimension. The CID of the next Dimension is thedataset or file name where items can be located for the next dimension.The CID name of the next dataset holding Regular Item Instance data (tobe listed under a Diagonal Header) is determined by adding another digitto both sides of the CID of the previous dimension. (See “CID Growth” inthe more detailed description of the invention). Linking through thedatasets to pick up appropriate data for a given GUI or otherrequirement progresses in this way through each path that has data inthe next dimension for each relevant item until all there are no moresubsequent dimensions with data.

There are different ways that the desired instance data is determinedfor a particular situation. For example, a client can choose to narrowdown what is read from the data store to only include the top ten itemsin a particular dimension.

RSVP system also comprises a dictionary that maintains list of all theUniform Records created for search and updating at a later time. Adomain level dictionary contains all records that have been created,used or received by the owner of the domain. A shared dictionary on theother hand keeps all the records used, created and received by domainsparticipating in the share. Each record in the dictionary also containslinks to a usage file. This usage file contains a record of all domainsand files that are currently using the record. If a user domain hasopted to be informed of changes to the original record, then it isinformed of such changes. Also, the domain of the author is kept trackof so that an item can be prevented from being edited by someone otherthan the author.

User Interface (UI) Components (See Figure Depicting GUI) willpreferably comprise, for example, an RSVP Window. In the preferredimplementation, the RSVP window is the left frame of the browser windowthat shows the RSVP applet. It will also comprise a Toolbar, which isthe topmost horizontal bar on the Graphical User Interface and containsfollowing buttons: IN or Setup, List, Send, Receive, Refresh, and Home.Further it comprises Active Window, which is a container panel rightbelow toolbar and above knowledge navigation panel. It can either showdescription of a record or other panels depending upon user's actions.Also, it will preferably comprise an Edit window which is below thetoolbar and contains labels, text fields and buttons. It shows all thefields belonging to a currently selected Uniform Record (UR) other thanlink id and rank. The labels in the panel define names of the recordfields and text fields their corresponding values. Number and Mediatypes are represented as buttons that can be clicked to change theirvalues. The buttons at the bottom of the edit window allow for saving,removing, replicating of the record, whereas upload brings up an uploadpage in the media window thereby allowing users to upload theirdocuments.

RSVP system will also comprise a Knowledge Navigator Window and itsButtons. These buttons are instances of Uniform Records that show in theKnowledge Navigator (See figure depiction the GUI) as buttons with alabel or graphic. Buttons can represent following records: (a) Header:These records are also called headers. In case of items, these headersform diagonal buttons on the navigation panel. In case of option theseform all the headers on first row except the one on first column. Thefirst click of such a button shows description on edit window and itempanel or option panel beneath it. Second click allows for editing of therecord on edit window; and (b) Items: The first click on a button showsdescription of the record whereas second click shows an edit window thatallows users to edit different values of a record. If the record has aURL linked to it, it is shown on the media window. When an item buttonis selected a subsequent identity button is also shown on the navigationpanel.

Item panel is a panel holding a list of item buttons under an identityrecord, also represented by diagonal headers in the navigation panel. Nomore than 10 items can be shown in a given view. A user can see the nextor previous 10 listing of items by clicking down or up arrow on thepanel correspondingly. Option panel holds list of options under anoption header, just as the item panel.

RSVP system will preferably include an InPanel which is viewed withinActive window and has following components: (a) Ftp Server: It shows thelist of ftp servers where the user can upload his documents. Such a listis maintained on the servers-side and every time a client wants to viewit, a request is made to the server for the list and displayed inFtpPanel upon successful reply. A user also has ability to add new ftpservers to the list, edit and remove existing ones; (b) Partners: Muchlike ftp server list Partner list allows a user to view, add, edit andremove partners. The details of this function are described underPartnership; (c) Number Types: Allows to view, add, edit and removeNumber Types (d) Media Types: Allows to view, add, edit and remove mediatypes; and (e) Items: Items can be added to the main dictionary fromhere, and (f) Options: Options can be added to the main dictionary fromhere.

RSVP system will preferably also include a media window. The right frameof the browser window is called media window and is used to show URLs ofa Uniform Record as defined by the record's media type field andcurrently selected in RSVP window. In addition to Audio/Video, Webpages, Graphics and more, “media” can also be any other software that isaccessible from a web browser. See exhibit showing all the types ofinternal and external programs that can be accessed that are outside ofbut accessible from RSVP.

In one embodiment of the present invention, INTV is a networkedmanagement and communication service that enables others, without priorprogramming experience, to easily program software applications that canbe distributed under the Intellivision® (INTV) or other names and usedto manage communication and interaction in a network. INTV is based onthe AFFIRM technology that enables the representation, control andcoordination of the dynamics of networks in a data driven way. Basicallyit helps any entity to communicate with other entities in therecognition and selection of opportunities as well as the coordinationof opportunity realization. AFFIRM is a predictive and prescriptiveframework for capturing and controlling the dynamics and behavior of anetwork. So as a result of the use of an AFFIRM based system, researchis automatically being done and applied to enable learning and enhanceperformance network-wide. As applied in health, INTV is both anintelligent vision for how healthcare can be greatly improved, as wellas a tool by which this and others' visions can be planned and enacted.

Although healthcare networks are only one of many different types ofnetworks that will benefit from being better managed with AFFIRM basedtools, discussing the AFFIRM application in this volatile, uncertain,complex and ambiguous environment will shed light on the technology'svalue in a host of other analogous situations. In terms of health, anAFFIRM based system enables all network participants (those involved inhealth related activities, actions, interactions, transactions, etc.) tohave the intelligent vision necessary to make wise decisions andcoordinate secure implementation of those decisions. Thus the AFFIRMbased tool will provide users in healthcare with enhanced vision andaction, with the economical enhancement of patient health as the driver.The underlying intellectual property (AFFIRM), that makes INTV possible,is relatively complex. This application review is not intended to giveyou an “under the hood” understanding of it, in the way the previousparts of this document did. This section will explain the concepts, soyou can understand its potential, learn a bit about how it works, andalso see some quick examples of its use in healthcare.

Both individuals and whole healthcare delivery networks will benefitfrom improved quality and efficiency, while reducing medical errors andincreasing patient safety. And at the same time, with unparalleledsecurity and control, any individual or organization in the network canbe empowered to have an incredible array of valuable new integrativeopportunities. These integrative opportunities tend to result from thebetter data modeling, collection and sharing capabilities that this datadriven communication and management technology facilitates.

A Personal Domain (PD): provides a personal and secure digital portfolioor knowledgebase in cyberspace; organizes your business and personalinfo (work, health, education, etc.), enables you to access yourpersonal information and take action from any web browser, and enablesyou to easily and instantly share organized parts with anyone as trustedand desired.

The core principle of our fourth generation communication networkingtechnology is based on the concept of a Personal Domain. A PD is anindividualized “knowledgebase in cyberspace”. It makes all of yourcritical personal or business data (e.g. work, medical, legal,financial, educational, commercial, etc.) electronically accessible andactionable by YOU from anywhere. And last but not least, all of thepieces of data in a PD can be instantly shared (sent and received) withanyone on a secure and as needed basis. Each entity with a PD, e.g. adoctor's office, physician, patient, etc., can take a holistic approachto their performance, physical (health), financial (accounts), etc. Interms of healthcare applications one area in which this invention willbe particularly beneficial is in managing (employer, employee)individual health savings accounts (HASs), a healthcare financing andadministration tool recently approved by the US congress.

You can see from points 1-3 above why this invention is a mix ofdatabase and communication technology. And as far as databases go, manythink that a PD will be to centralized databases, as the PC was tomainframes. You can see by point 4 that there is also some communicationtechnology involved here akin to email or IM. But a PD is also better atcommunicating structured information than email or IM. One of thebeauties of a PD is how it enables the information sharing (orcollaborative) process to be organized, efficient and secure by allowingmembers of a network to share organization templates and each person inthe network to immediately see the important or pertinent information,organized according to their priority settings, for their currentcontext or activity.

If you've ever tried to organize your emails, attachments and otherrelated documents into folders, and then tried to share this sameinformation in the same organization scheme with others using differentcomputers, then you know how difficult it is, today, to achieve just oneof the benefits that become automatic with PDs and the AFFIRM technologyon which they are based.

To help you better understand the significance of this new communicationtechnology, I will present 1^(st) the evolution of communicationnetworks, 2^(nd) why PDs are unique, and 3^(rd), why they are valuablein Healthcare. Basically the value or benefits result from finally beingable to have the right information, at the right place, at the righttime. If you are experienced with the healthcare system, you know thisideal is still just a dream.

The first generation of a communication network, such as used in themilitary and large corporations is the chain or top down network. Itsweaknesses include the fact that it is rigid, insular, and has lowmember satisfaction.

See FIG. 3 for a drawing of second-generation networks. The secondgeneration, hub and spoke, is not secure, has only moderate membersatisfaction, is disaster prone, and scalability is difficult. Theseweaknesses have plagued many e-commerce hubs.

See FIG. 5 for a drawing of third generation networks. Current or thirdgeneration is used in email and instant messaging. They are notplatforms for passing organized (or what we call structured) data. Otherprograms that do handle organized data, like today's spreadsheets anddatabases, cannot share and integrate data fluidly. The thirdgeneration's all channel approach without data structure creates chaosand insecurity, causing users to be subjected to viruses, junk-mail,information overload, and constant interruptions.

Instant messaging is no better than a phone in that the doctors need tobe online at the same time as the patient. Current methods involving faxand repeated data entry will no longer be necessary. Altogether, thecurrent generation makes it virtually impossible for a professional careprovider to use communication and information technology efficiently andeffectively.

See FIG. 16 for a drawing of next or fourth generation networks. In ourFourth Generation communication networks each PD represents a uniqueindividual or organization. Each PD is a separate personalizedinteractive hub capable of sharing organized data in a secure manner.Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the limitations of currentdatabase and communication technology says “WOW”! And we challenge youto show us any weaknesses.

We enable Personal Domain (PD) users to set up “partnerships” by eitherproposing or approving each private communication link with another PD.We also then enable the sharing of common organization templates betweenpartners. Then enhanced (organized, qualified, and prioritized)communication (including all sorts of media: voice, data, video, email,documents, etc., is easily managed and securely done on an as needed andtrusted basis. Database gurus and end users alike are amazed because aPD provides an individual with control of “One Worldview through OneWindow!” (“OWOW!”) As a result of this innovation not only arenon-technical individuals and organizations empowered, but also anincredible array of valuable integrative opportunities become possible,all while maintaining an unparalleled level of security. Anyone whotries it is amazed at how they can better manage their world throughthis one window in an Internet browser or hand held device.

The application areas in healthcare where this new enhanced form ofinterpersonal and inter-organizational communication and management canbe used include: Provider Network wide Communication, Education andDissemination of Knowledge, Patient Case Management, Patient DrivenHealth Improvement, Practice Research & Development Management, ProductPortfolio and Change Management, and Supply Chain Management.

So, whatever your field, there are 6 listed here, Intellivision (andother AFFIRM based software or services) offers a unique and valuablesolution. As mentioned above using a PD to manage ones health, includinga Health Savings Account (HSA) and ones health maintenance activities isan excellent application. One requirement to enjoy the benefits of anHSA, e.g. tax deductibility of all contributions, is that participantsowning HSAs are responsible for substantiating the legitimacy ofexpenses from HSAs. Since a PD connected to a health network is able toautomatically monitor and track all healthcare transactions, having a PDwould be an excellent way for HSA participants (i.e. patients) to dothis.

The focus of the rest of this description of use in healthcare is on howit can be used to better manage communication and care by sharingElectronic Medical Records (EMRs) across and along the healthcarenetwork. Another beautiful thing about this enhanced communicationtechnology is that it flexibly adapts to any type of network, whethertraditional, contemporary or futuristic. (See FIGS. 21 and 22) INTV canbe used to enhance any healthcare model including: (a) traditional suchas: (1) departmentalized; and (2) specialized; and (b) contemporary suchas: (1) holistic patient centered case management; and (b)evidence-based; and (c) futuristic: (1) telemedicine; (2) practice basedresearch networks (PBRN); (3) accelerated translation of research intopractice (A TRIP).

Healthcare leaders anticipate that a national and internationalelectronic health information network will provide a quantum leap inpatient power, doctor power, effectiveness of care and reduction ofhealth care spending by over 10%, as well as security and privacy ofinformation.

By using AFFIRM technology, INVT Intellivision can be flexibly adaptedto work with or support any network model. First, let see how this willwork for the above traditional Health Care System model. Each circlerepresents a personal domain (PD), where each entity has their PD. Thereare three focal points in this particular model: the patient, theprimary care physician working within the PC, and the hospital. Thehealth insurance payer organization is also included. The EMRincorporating the patients history, physical, laboratory, allergies,medications, and life-style is initially developed, under the new HIPAAguidelines, by the Primary Care Physician and is stored at both thepatients location (perhaps on the Internet) and on the network of the PCwhere the physician practices. Selected information, with the patient'spermission, is transmitted over an extranet to the health insurance planadministrator. It is important to understand that there is a separatelocation for patient data for every entity that is exclusively accessedand changed by that entity, i.e. hospital, care provider, payer,patient, etc. Since data is replicated in different locations accordingto the data owners wishes, everyone can have there own data that theycontrol access to. And since the data flows so easily between thesedifferent distributed locations using an AFFIRM based system, the right(amount and parts of) information is still economically available forthe right person, for the right reason, at the right place and time.This alleviates data ownership concerns that make centralized communitydata repositories a problem, while still enabling open sharing undercomplete control of information owners (information creators, authors,and/or in the case of “private” information, the individual(s) that theinformation is about). There are other systems that support thedistribution of EMR and other data while enabling users to see data fromthese distributed systems in a common view, but they still rely onpreprogrammed transformers that must be specifically programmed for eachdisparate data source (table format) and view. Because of this, eachtime the data being kept is changed, the transformers need to bereprogrammed. This means there is a huge expense for maintaining andintegrating these other types of distributed systems. Because AFFIRMbased systems don't require this, AFFIRM is a unique and valuabletechnology for healthcare and other applications of distributedcomputing.

FIG. 22 shows how PDs support any contemporary or futuristic healthcaremodel. By combining parts from all different sources while only showingpersonal information that is authorized by the patient or data owner aunified holistic view is provided at any level of aggregation orinclusiveness and resolution or level of detail. Now whenever andwherever the patient returns for care, e.g. the emergency room, the EMRis modified and kept up to date. The physician can decide to add andkeep track of any additional type of information that is consideredappropriate without disrupting the flow and processing of existing typesof information, without “rewriting the application program”. The planadministrator (i.e. payer) can easily be consulted for approval ofanything in a timely manner. The physician may refer the patient to aconsultant, i.e. urologist, with their complete EMR, including specificproblems, and/or admit the patient to the hospital. (See example belowunder the “Transactions” slide.) In either case the relevant aspects ofthe EMR with the important information summarized is delivered over theextranet to the specialist's, hospital's, and/or other designatedparty's domain. There is no need to duplicate information entry. Theanesthesiologist, the lab, and other health providers would have accessto that portion of the patient's information that is pertinent for themand be able to add to the EMR appropriate new data. Even emergencyparamedics and other personnel can be given access to the patients EMRwherever authorized or needed through a simple Internet connection. Thepatient's URL and password can be on an arm band, ID card or other IDthat is only accessible in case of emergency by emergency personnel. Thefinance dept. shares selected information with the payer forreimbursement. This system has great economy; improves patient safety,and improves the quality of care.

Each of these thirty circles represents a unique personal domain. Eachindividual person or organization sees the information about the patientfrom their perspective. In order to have a high quality care network,all these different record formats must not only coexist, but also beable to change as new research findings dictate. They are also necessaryto reflect the unique perspectives of the different individuals involvedin the care network. One big advantage of our system is that we canallow these different perspectives to coexist while still being able toeasily unify them all into ONE WINDOW to give a simple yet holistic viewof the patient's unique situation, without the normal data conflicts.One practical result of this breakthrough is that each uniquehealth-plan administrator, primary care physician, hospital, orsub-specialist can decide, with the permission of the patient, whatinformation they want (e.g. HIPAA).

FIG. 10 shows the expanding universe of trust that is provided byINTV/AFFIRM and enjoyed by doctors and patients who share informationwith others on an as needed basis. This enhanced communicationtechnology is very HIPAA compliant and develops trust between thepatient, care providers, and others in the system. Another aspect of theAFFIRM technology is how the architecture enables important informationto be shared from one aggregation level or sequential stage of the care(providing or receiving) network to the next without necessarily sharingthe private details. This enables coordinated data capture, interactionand learning network-wide without requiring all parties to totally trusteach other, agree on data formats or reenter data.

For example a hospital can aggregate all its performance metrics toinclude data on each procedure across all patients without requiringdata specifics that identify patients or data structures to change. Inthe same way information from all hospitals in a network could beaggregated to a higher level, with or without details from lower levels,without reprogramming or restructuring data. Data structures don't evenhave to change to group procedures by any number of different types ofprocedures or even different schemes for and coding procedures. Also, aswork passes from one point in a process to the next, the outputs fromone sequential stage shifts to be the inputs for the next sequentialstage without requiring reentry of data or changing data structures. Forexample, a certain type and instance of medical instrument functionalityor material supply (e.g. medication) can be the output of the hospitaland an input to the physicians procedure or the patients care.

See FIG. 1 for a depiction of the main goals and interactive processesneeded to nurture synergistic relationships and knowledge in a learningindividual or organization.

Individuals and organizations in healthcare have these same needs. Theyneed a better way to manage interaction and organization in order tocreate value, lower costs and improve quality. The collaborativehealthcare enabled by Intellivision (i.e. AFFIRM) satisfies these needswhile maintaining privacy. As a result it creates value by bettermanaging complex cases that can consume most resources and minimizingchances of problem escalation, resource over utilization and privacybreaches.

Intellivision offers the opportunity to enhance coordination of carewherever and whenever it is being provided. It enables Healthcare tobetter manage organization and interaction to improve collaborativehealthcare on a 24×7 basis over the Web. As a result, care costs arelowered, quality is increased and mistakes are minimized. This preservesvalue by securely sharing private information and it creates valuethrough innovation and collaboration.

INTV enhances communication, coordination and integration betweendifferent parties: Physician-to-Physician: information for secondopinion, referral information, lab and radiology results;Physician-to-Patient: EMR information, reports, alerts & alarms,prescription information, education materials; and HealthPlan-to-Provider-to-Facilities: EMR data, outcome data, evidence-basedfindings.

Workflow and interaction are enhanced, as all EMR based data can beeasily communicated in an organized way on an as needed basis, again 24hours a day and 7 days a week. Media are shared as URL links to fileseasily uploaded to the web, they are not shared as attachments. Thisalleviates passing viruses. [See GUI view showing the underlyingproperties (e.g. URL) of an Intellivision button object.] Direct IN-EMRword processing, messaging and other applications keeps everythingtogether in the One Window organized by activity for a given patientcare provider, etc.

The types of transactions that can be coordinated with the system areunlimited. Some different operational scenarios include:Physician-to-Physician: referrals, treatment ideas, EMR templates, oncall agreements; Physician-to-Patient: Registration, scheduling,prescription refills; and Health Plan-to-Provider/Facilities:Authorizations, pre-certifications, credentialing.

For example tests can be ordered by the physician, i.e. to be performedby radiology or pathology lab, etc. (in conjunction with the patient),performance of test can be coordinated between the lab and patient, andboth physician and patient can be informed of results, and furtherappropriate patient treatment can even be triggered and performed.

The below GUI view shows an example of a radiology test that has beenshared with “Patient 1” by sending a button to the right location withthe Patient1 domain and EMR.

FIGS. 23 and 24 show the Internet browser views that depict how a givenradiology test document has been shared by being linked through the URLof the record (Input Output Object—IOO) for a button in the GUIappropriately and automatically placed within the EMR structure for thedomain owner, in this case the patient. FIG. 24 shows the part of theuniform record that is editable from the browser by the data owner. Thebutton represents that given test and is automatically organized withineach recipient's given domain. In the above example it is the patient'sdomain, but the button would be in the right position(s) within the EMRfor each party, i.e. the PCP, specialist, and other domains the linkshave been sent to, under the control of the data owner/controller. Inthe case of this radiology test document, each button that representsthis document, regardless of which domain(s) it is replicated in, has alink to a single archived radiology test document location (See “URL”text field in below view. Again, the AFFIRM technology enables thebutton representing this document object to be replicated and link tothis one single document version, from the right data location and GUIview position within each of the parties' separate electronic medicalrecord data store domain and viewer.

Any action, not just a radiology tests, can be planned and transacted ina very fluidly flowing process using this invention, and it can be doneentirely electronically and automatically where appropriate. Goingfurther with this example, if the results of a test are not normal analert of both physician and patient can be automatically triggered, andactions can be planned and implemented by an AFFIRM based system. Thesealerts and other messages are prioritized according to severity and/orother factors relevant to each given party for each given party. Forexample a physician would see issues (represented by buttons and othercontent, related to potential, planned, enacted or other types ofobjects, events, activities, processes, etc.) for ALL patients orderedby priority according to that physician's criterion such as urgency ofrequired response. And the patient would see all their individual issuesand actions prioritized according to the patient's criterion. Thisenables each party to more productively manage and communicate theirconcerns and actions, i.e. the physician's time and care activities,and/or the patient's health treatment/maintenance activities. This wasjust one example to the unlimited types of things (objects representingthe who, what, how, why, when, where, cost and extent of a sharedhealthcare process) that can be coordinated through the utilization ofthe frameworks, functions and interfaces of the AFFIRM invention.

The ability to do all sorts of evaluation right in line with othercollaborative functions such as communication and transactions in is animportant aspect of INTV. Evaluation can be done on data that isautomatically as a result of the use of the system. Evaluativeinformation can be provided right at the point were work is being donein records that go along with transactions and/or in interlinked reportand graphs that include: Physician-to-Patient: Health indicators, medcompliance, disease progression, care needs; or Healthplan-to-Physician:provider quality performance, financial performance.

Right in line with the medical record, the above types of analyses canbe done to make better care decisions. Also, the quality and performance(financial and otherwise) of separate parts or entities in a network canbe constantly monitored and tracked as they change over time.

FIG. 26 shows that AFFIRM can calculate and tell participants in ashared process or network “Why” a given product (“Product 1”) would berecommended as beneficial for a given market (“Market 1”) need. The viewshows how an AFFIRM based system can display the particular features ofa particular product (e.g. medical procedure) and the particular extentof the benefits of these features for a particular market (e.g.patient). The specific view shown above is intended to communicate theanswer to the question “Why”. In the medical arena, it would help answerthe question, why should my loved one have this particular treatment(e.g. certain surgical procedure)? In this type of situation, anappropriate instance of the type of view shown above would communicatethe most important (top) feature (“Feature 1”) of the particularsurgical product or solution (“Product 1”), and the range of benefits(“Benefit 1-4”) that would be produced for the particular patient(“Market 1”). By combining this with other features such as those thattrack the gaps between actual and potential needs and benefits currentlybeing met and those that enable mutual planning, coordination andimplementation, the mutual evaluation, planning and implementation ofdifferent scenarios for how to allocate limited resources between partsof a network or portfolio and optimize network-wide value can be done.

The ability of an AFFIRM based system to do the above evaluation,calculating the above mentioned statistics (based on expert opinion andactual experience in a given environment) as well as to display and usethis information in a logical and convenient way for all users' benefitdemonstrates an important utility of the AFFIRM invention. Users canboth automatically use these evaluations as guidance for future actionsand as mentioned above, actually transact or implement recommendedactions, all in one integrated and easily accessible view. Also theability of users to provide further input, e.g. data on the currentsituation, selection of certain (usually recommended) actions and/orfeedback on whether a recommendation worked out as suggested, enable theuser to control the system and the network to learn from experience. Sofor example this new data is then captured and used in subsequentevaluations to better predict the potential results of futurerecommendations.

Because of the AFFIRM technology, these type of evaluations can beprepared and shared with and between users as standard features and/ornon-technical end user customized “plug-ins” of a given AFFIRM based(implementation) and/or network's applications. This is done in a waythat is more easily and economical than a multi-user spreadsheet withmodels and data being shared over a communication network. They usetypes of quantitative information (e.g. counts, sums, averages, weightedaverages, correlations, regressions, etc.) about particular types ofsubjects (i.e. a patient with certain conditions) and particular typesof potential objects (i.e. a medical procedure with certain features andfunctions) in a network to guide behavior of network participants in aquantitative and qualitative way.

Because of the singular subject focus and networked object orientedreflections of each domain based on the uniform AFFIRM architecture, acollection or aggregate of domains (acting as one subject) is able tocapture the dynamics of the behavior of both individuals and entirenetworks in which individuals are involved. As a result of only databeing different, within the uniform AFFIRM framework, representing anindividual subject and the objects involved in that subjects network(s),an AFFIRM based system can make recommendations (or predictions) for/offuture action based on the context of that individual, thus guiding andenhancing behavior and performance of individuals and networks.

In this way AFFIRM provides the ability to evaluate the advantages anddisadvantages of different solutions for any entity involved in adynamic network or system regardless of the particular situation. It caneven go beyond the type of analysis shown above (quality benefitdeployment) and use the above information to “visualize” or weigh therelative attractiveness of different alternative courses of action(based on such things as opportunities and threats in the environmentand/or strengths and weaknesses in the individual market (i.e. customer)in a holistic way. These AFFIRM based capabilities enable all entitiesor participants involved in a network to better understand, support andcoordinate decision-making and implementation processes.

FIG. 25 shows just one of many business models that can be supported bythe application of AFFIRM technology in healthcare. This would normallyinvolve sponsoring partners, e.g. hospital, physicians organization,payer, and/or other provider group in the community, initiating anapplication specific collaborative network, e.g. IN-Med.Net orIN-NYC-Emergency-Med.Net, etc., and then having othersubsequent/alternative partners, e.g. other providers, labs, patients,etc., participate and/or sponsor the network. In this way there can benetworks that represent “vertical industries” (e.g. health) and/or“horizontal professions” (e.g. for a particular medical specialty,sub-specialty and/or other type of provider) for a community. Thesenetworks enable sharing of applications made up of templates or“interaction threads” for special purposes. They act as structures thatenable integration (enhanced delivery of information, goods andservices) from the top down and data pipes that channel performance datafrom the bottom up, all while enhancing coordination of vision andaction up, down and sideways throughout extended collaboration networks.

By facilitating transactions, providing vision across and along anetwork, and enabling better coordination of the network all entitiesinvolved will benefit. In terms of professional service networks alonewithin industries such as healthcare and others, the impact of this newtechnology and organization (business process) capability will betremendous. Also as mentioned above, individuals will also be able tohave information from multiple networks, e.g. financial (e.g.IN-Fin.Net), insurance (e.g. IN-Sure.Net), medical (e.g. IN-Med.Net),consumer goods, recreation, etc., integrated into their personaldomains. This will enable individual entities to take responsibility fornot only managing their own health, but also other aspects of their lifein a holistic way.

See FIG. 27 that provides another look at how AFFIRM domains, includingPersonal Domains (PD) and others, as well as other AFFIRM technologyenable network-wide data integration and aggregation without requiringeveryone in the network to use the same inflexible data structures or tocontinuously do complex data transformations, one or both of which arerequired by all other information integration systems available today.This unique achievement as well as the unique ability to inherentlyprovide individual privacy and self-control over all interaction, e.g.data sharing from Private Person-to-Private, Semi-private and PublicPartners without requiring a third party security provider, make AFFIRMbased systems practical large-scale solutions for managing public healthand other security applications. This chart shows on a little biggerscale than previous charts how the data from specific individualizeddomains can be securely shared (with optional de-identification) inorder to provide increasing levels of aggregation in information as wellas evaluation and decision support to any level of resolution inincreasingly inclusive and/or more public domains.

These same management, communication and coordination benefits inhealthcare can be attained in virtually any network of entitiescollaborating in some way using the AFFIRM technology. FIG. 28 showsjust some of the many diverse sectors and fields or domains where AFFIRMcan be applied. Perhaps the greatest value of AFFIRM will be how it iscapable of bringing complementary parties from different previouslydivided sectors or fields together in symbiotic relationships. One moreof the many possible application examples follows that addresses thisgreat need and value.

Leading innovators from across Government, Academia and Industry as wellsupporting Associations (G-A-I-A) are committed to a new Research DataEvaluation Standards and Innovation Guidance Network (ReDESIGN). Dynamicmodeling, evaluation and harmonization of complex research anddevelopment (R&D) processes from opportunity recognition and ideation tocommercialization are facilitated in inter-networked private,semi-private and public domains. Road mapping and Design-for-Six-Sigmaas well as other approaches are supported. A uniquely uniform Web-basedtoolkit comprised of data structures, protocols and interfacesfacilitates monitoring, evaluation, guidance and coordination of ongoingnetwork-wide interaction. Negotiation of semi-private partneringarrangements across emerging clusters of traditionally divided yetcomplementary participants are more easily and securely managed. As aresult of each cluster or semi-private domain having prearrangedgovernance policies, standards and monitoring mechanisms, exchange ofproprietary knowledge flows more fluidly.

Prioritized knowledge, comprised of ordered slices of information frompartner domains, is integrated, validated and personalized in eachindividual participant's Personal Domain (PD). A PD is accessed througha window in a Web browser to plan, organize, motivate and controlinteraction. (See FIG. 1 and FIG. 8)

All functions needed to securely model, evaluate, manage and harmonizeR&D activities between remote G-A-I-A partners can be done within oneWeb window. Dynamic ex-ante monitoring & evaluation of impact of complexinteraction across G-A-I-A hierarchies enables timely network-wideidentification, translation and leverage of opportunities for individualand greater good.

Individuals and groups across G-A-I-A sectors are motivated tocontribute in several ways. They receive real credits and enhancedreputations based on the leveraged value they enable network-wide. Theyare also comforted by their ability to maintain content integrity andownership rights. This is possible and practical as a result of theunique way content owners control distribution as they dialecticallyinteract with others to determine content value. All this happensnaturally as a result of interaction. ‘Interaction threads’incrementally flow between domains and are archived as a result oftransparent user action. User actions include partner, send, receive,find, use, create, annotate, rank, evaluate, etc. . . . . Receivedrecords are immediately synthesized and prioritized in a PD by chainedconcept codes and available to help guide subsequent interaction. Thissynthesis of timely actionable knowledge in one distributed hierarchicalmultidimensional metrological and ontological modeling framework readilystages data to evaluate and react to risks and opportunities. (See FIGS.18 and 20)

A premise of this research support service is that data, ideas ordiscoveries might come from anywhere, but to develop them intosignificant opportunities they need to be jointly evaluated anddeveloped by participants from across domains. Another premise is thattranslation of research into practice will not succeed withouttranslation of practice data, problems and opportunities into research.ReDESIGN helps researchers securely mine, collect, merge, correlate,share, synthesize and transform individual and pooled data. Interchangebetween ReDESIGN and other data formats are openly supported. Data onresources, inputs, processes, outcomes and reasons are used ex-ante tohelp evaluate and guide network-wide exchange throughout process andrelationship lifecycles. This helps to more readily recognizeopportunities and negotiate complex value propositions while harmonizingongoing interaction. This guides efficient and effective resourceallocation and enhances network-wide understanding and learning, thusimproving participant worth and quality-of-life. Securely andefficiently matching complementary resources and needs over time, space,scale and scope of G-A-I-A activity will harmonize research andsupercharge innovation.

ReDESIGN uses a rolling standard setting (and consensus building)apparatus to align disparate standards from across participants, times,scales and systems while securing negotiation of arrangements forexchange of resources that might create value together. So, regardlessof the source of ideas or eventual payoff, research initiative andsustainable innovation are motivated, targeted, guided and accelerated.One research data-sharing group could use ReDESIGN to better satisfy FDAdesires for clinical research that is better targeted and streamlined,thus improving success rates and reducing the $1.7 Billion average costof bringing a new drug to market. By appropriately and securelyevaluating, attracting and aligning diverse resources, standards andneeds of innovators across G-A-I-A sectors, capability of competitivelyserving global markets and creating value for cluster members will beenhanced, all while securing intellectual property diffusion,application and remuneration.

This breakthrough Web-base rolling standard setting building serviceenables more dynamic and less costly emergence and synthesis of evolvingXML meta-data sharing standards. These data sharing techniques havepreviously required unrealistic levels of up-front agreement andresources, precluding sufficiently inclusive levels of collaboration inrecognizing, translating, evaluating and implementing opportunities.This limits agility in collectively informing, aligning and meetingstandards appropriate for each context. ReDESIGN provides the scalablevision and agility to cost-effectively manage standards, monitorcompliance, facilitate convergence and enable mass-customization.Maintenance of privacy and security while providing transparent accessto personalized multi-media research data collectively gathered acrossG-A-I-A hierarchies is now practical. The public is informed,collaborative innovation is supercharged and privacy is secured. (SeeFIG. 27) Using interacting AFFFIRM Domains, e.g. Personal Domains, etc.,to manage collaborative innovation over time across GAIA sectors willimprove the science of science and innovation policy in incredible newways. ReDESIGN will demonstrate how United States competitiveness can besustained by capitalizing on breakthrough new levels of security,agility, scalability and harmonization across traditional G-A-I-Aboundaries. According to the World Economic Forum, United Statescompetitiveness in innovation is falling fast, from a commanding lead towell below smaller yet better coordinated national economies.Unfortunately the U.S. is now the sleeping giant that needs to reawakenits creative spirit by capitalizing on its strengths in academicresearch and market fluidity while improving its institutionalcoordination and fiscal responsibility. Harmonization of mostappropriate resource distribution and collaborative innovation acrossthe full range of socioeconomic activity in the U.S. is now possiblethrough the unique approach to be demonstrated by G-A-I-A ReDESIGN.

ReDESIGN promotes sustainable progress, helping researchers monitor,evaluate and predict socioeconomic impact of policy, program and productchanges across interrelated G-A-I-A Personal Domain perspectives. Eachperspective logically represents and aligns an individual person ororganized actor's priorities with those of the others involved incomplementary clusters. Again, security and equity are assured by givingeach actor (or their authorized representatives) control of theircontent, plans and actions. For example one synthesized view may be usedto control and self-motivate a person's participation as an experimentalsubject in personalized treatment programs targeting their education,health, etc. Another view might help manage a new drug's R&D,dynamically updating meta-synthesis of data from individual patientsinvolved in clinical trials, with de-identified data stratified byvariables systematically determined as most valid and relevant inmeasuring that drug's safety and effectiveness. The achievednetwork-wide representation and evaluation of diverse perspectives willmotivate collective fulfillment of personalized opportunities and thushelp maximize economic progress, while still bolstering culturaldiversity and other important societal and personal values.

Scientists in a variety of fields now believe that this type oftechnology will be useful in virtually all fields of science, bringingthem together, enabling more productive scholarship, and even insynthetically controlling and coordinating physical networks in ouruniverse. This even includes in-vivo networks that could use thetechnology to simulate and control the health of biological organisms,networks or systems. It will manage and communicate among levels oforganization in organisms, such as whole, systems, organs, tissues,cells, organelles, molecules, atoms, etc., capturing and coordinatingthe dynamics of network behavior from a universal scale down to quantumand/or sub-nanometer scale. AFFIRM based networks provide value at anyentity or level of organization by easily sharing structured informationand coordinating real-time interaction without giving up privacy, orderor integrity. The benefits are unique because of how the uniform datastructure(s), e.g. personal domain (PD), and messaging technologyprovides simple, flexible, economical and pragmatic use throughout (e.g.across and along multiple dimensions of) a network. It is scalablebecause the portable modular technology and (socioeconomic) model enableeconomical application and network growth. It is sustainable because ofthe way it securely creates value (by overcoming disintegration, entropyor chaos) by enabling intimate understanding, opportunity recognition,commitment and coordination of purposeful action.

It adds value to any operation by sharing structured information andcoordinating real-time interaction without giving up privacy. It isunique because the uniform personal domain (PD) and messaging technologyprovides simple, flexible, economical and pragmatic solutions. It isscalable because the portable modular technology and business modelenable viral growth. It creates stickiness because of the way itsecurely creates Provider and Patient value and commitment in asustainable way.

The embodiment of the AFFIRM design or invention in one or moreconfigurable or programmable computing devices, memory devices orcarrier waves (communication carriers) makes it useful. AFFIRM datastructures (frameworks) are implemented in one or more computer memorydevices or carrier waves. AFFIRM processes (functions) are programmed insoftware or firmware and run in one or more computing devices. In orderto interact with the world, i.e. do real work, an AFFIRM based systemmust be linked (interfaced) with other real objects, e.g. users,devices, other external systems programs or databases, animate andinanimate objects, etc. The purpose of AFFIRM is to manage relationshipsbetween objects (i.e. socioeconomic entities) in a network through whichreal interaction or work is realized. This is why the describedinvention is called AFFIRM, Architectural Frameworks, Functions andInterfaces for Relationship Management.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computing architecture and method for managingthe socioeconomic interaction of any entity or network of entities (e.g.one or more individual entity, closed group of formally organizedentities, closed group of self-organizing entities, and/or open publicgroup of entities) herein together referred to as “the system”,essentially comprised of: a uniform and universally applicable subjectand object oriented data structure framework where each real subjectentity in the system (e.g. at least those animate objects with apotential for initiating action in the system, but also inanimateobjects, concepts, etc. with an individual essence or subjectiveexistence in the system) is represented by a main subject-orienteddomain where the subject entity is the actor and/or Home Subject (HS)and by other reference objects located in domains that interact with thesubject entity to represent or reflect the subject entity as an object;uniquely addressable and accessible node location(s) for each domain ofthe system in a network space or interconnect medium; subject and objectoriented application programming environment that enables a Home Subjectactor(s), whether knowing the syntax of a computer coding languages ornot, to create (i.e. program), access and operate application templatesin their home domains to share and manage interaction with ones ownand/or other domain(s) and the home subject(s) of these domain(s) in theprocess of planning, proposing, selecting, instantiating, staging andmodifying reference objects referring to real entities and interactionswith them so as to effect real change in the real entity(s) themselves;bilateral link(s) or reference object(s) that mutually point to eachother and represent interaction(s), change(s) or exchange(s) are able tobe created and proposed by HS(s) and affirmed by potentially interactingHS(s), with each interacting domain being updated with message objectsthat reference the interacting real entity and the current state of thechange from the perspective of the HS of the domain as it evolves;exemplary bilateral links include mutual references between tworespective domains signifying a potential partnership between theirHS(s) that, once agreed to by both parties, will exist until a HSdecide(s) to dissolve or discontinue the relationship; and discretemessaging, sharing and/or bilateral interaction mechanism wherereference object(s) in the uniform data structure can be selectivelysent from one sending domain to be selectively received by targetedpartner recipient HS(s) and/or domain(s).
 2. The computing architectureand method according to claim 1, further comprising: a uniform subjectand object oriented data structure framework, instances of which arecalled Personal Domains (PD) because they are separately or exclusivelycreated, applied, partitioned, located, addressed, accessed andcontrolled by a single actor (e.g. organization, person, guardian, etc.)that is or represents the Home Subject (HS); a subject and objectoriented programming environment used by the HS without knowing specificsyntax or codes of a computer language to program applications bycreating, selecting and/or destroying reference objects and their linksand states to be processed within a uniform and universally applicablemeta-modeling framework; a pre-programmed planning, negotiation andinteraction coordination protocol and mechanism that requires HS(s)controlling PD(s) involved in an interaction to agree to an interaction(e.g. the creation of a partnership, the sending and receiving ofinformation, the exchange of physical goods or services, etc.) before aninteraction can be scheduled and/or enacted; a pre-programmedmonitoring, updating, archiving and learning mechanism that enablesincremental interaction to be automatically recorded in the aboveuniform frameworks and then directly evaluated from the perspective ofeach PD and its HS; a pre-programmed process guidance mechanism that canautomatically use results of past interactions and other accessiblerelevant data to evaluate alternative actions based on their relativeattractiveness and recommended actions as well as predict behavior; apre-programmed process control and actualization protocol and mechanismthat enables interaction to be asynchronously planned and negotiated andthen synchronously enacted or coordinated; an architecture and protocolfor building “pragmatic webs” where subject plans, actions and feedbackimpact the meaning, conception, development and/or value of usefulobjects; and an architecture and protocol for managing the (dynamic)learning, development, coordination, protection and performance ofsocioeconomic entities in the system.
 3. The computing architecture andmethod, according to claim 2, further essentially comprised of: auniform subject and object oriented data structure framework where eachreal entity subject represented in the system is referenced by a mainsubjective domain where it is the Home Subject (HS) and also by otherreference objects located in other interacting domains where the realentity is reflected as an object; one or more main subjective domaininstances of the uniform structure that are called Personal Domains (PD)which are each used exclusively by a HS to capture, locate, access,observe and manipulate reference objects about its subjective self andthose other objects it relates to; reference object instances which aremade up of one or more Input Output Objects (IOO) which are eachstructured in a uniform way and used to label, describe, symbolize,represent, link to, locate, show, monitor, stage, value, measure, grade,rank, score and apportion the objects they refer to; reference objectinstances that exist in domain(s) or PD(s) in the system and refer toentity(s) that the HS interacts with; and reference object instancesthat exist in other domains(s) or PD(s) that this home entity interactswith as an object and refer to this Home Subject.
 4. A computingarchitecture and method according to claim 3, further comprising: auniform and modular subject-oriented domain framework that isuniversally applicable to managing the interactions of objects in anetwork, one or more Personal Domain (PD) objects that are created byinstantiating this subjective framework; each PD having a reference to aspecific Home Subject (HS) which it represents and can be controlled by;each PD having its own data partition or totally separate and securerepository distributed over one or more separate data location(s); eachPD exclusively accessible and therefore controllable by one HS “superuser” or their authorized guardian; each PD having one or moresub-domain templates formed according to the uniform and universallyapplicable domain framework called an Input Output Object Template(IOOT) instantiated for interactions between the exclusive HS and aparticular identified main object (e.g. other entity, role or position)in its environment; each complete interaction instance of a IOOTrepresenting interactive behavior recorded with detail on one or moreobjects, dimensions and perspectives; uniform format for a recordscalled reference objects or Input Output Objects (IOOs) that includesfields or basic data components; the basic data components for an IOOobject include a Link ID (LID), Class ID (CID), Label, Description,Universal Resource Locator (URL), Rank, Value, Media Type, and NumberType each LID formatted according standard protocol for uniquelyidentifying reference objects and linking similar or related referenceobjects; bilateral links between a particular RO in a PD and areflection PD where the particular RO's referenced object is referred toas the Home Subject; uniform method for uniquely identifying andlocating a file or class and its instances within a certain dimensionand (path) location that combines a Class ID identification (CID) with aDomain Chain (DC); a uniform CID is the class or file name andidentifies the multidimensional qualitative (potential, actual,actuated, etc.) and quantitative (input, output, balance, etc.) statesof objects in the class or file; a uniform DC that uniquely identifiesthe specific multidimensional path to or location of one or moreparticular CIDs; bilateral links between related PDs, CIDs, IOOs, DCs,IOOTs and real objects that enable all reference objects that are in themultiple domains, dimensions and perspectives in the data structure andrepresented by the data structure to be interconnected and organized ina logical way such that objects are accessible, relatable, traversable,communicable and changeable from one interconnected part of the datastructure and real objects represented to another in any direction; anddata about the current state and potential interaction in the future ofthe HS and related objects is represented (flows through and is updated)in certain CID files of this data structure while past completedinteractions are in others.
 5. The computing architecture and methodaccording to claim 4, essentially consisting of: pre-programmed classesand methods for enabling a Home Subject to have exclusive authority toperform at least one of an act of authoring, importing, exporting,creating, defining, encapsulating, abstracting, inheriting,instantiating, storing, accessing, replicating, deriving, morphing,grouping, measuring, processing, evaluating, prioritizing, securing,displaying, sharing, planning, activating, scheduling, actuating,reflecting, aligning, integrating, synthesizing, aggregating, changing,updating, archiving, monitoring, and destroying reference objects in thedata structure; pre-programmed classes and methods for effecting levelsor degrees of impact, inclusiveness, maturity, diversity,complementariness, intimacy, fluidity, material substance,resourcefulness; and a graphical interface that enables a Home Subjectentity to do this object and subject-oriented programming and controlthe use of all aspects of the computational data structure from anylocation and device with a network connection without needing to scriptor write codes according to a specific syntax.
 6. The computational datastructure and method according to claim 5, further essentiallyconsisting of: asynchronous steps over time requiring the parties (i.e.Home Subject actors controlling two or more separate PDs) to aninteraction to plan, propose, review and otherwise agree to aninteraction before an interaction can be scheduled to be implemented orsynchronously enacted at remote locations at a point in time; steps ofdata integration template or “data pipe” production and sharing fromgeneralized levels to more specific levels to prepare for collection ofdetailed information that can be shared and integrated from specializedlevels to more general levels; and steps of data integration acrossgeographic locations, time periods, states, cultures, industries,professions, groups, etc., according to user definable matrices.
 7. Thecomputing architecture and method according to claim 6, furtheressentially comprising: bilateral link interfaces between twobilaterally instantiated reference objects that are directly related bya negotiated partnership or interaction contract such that communicationcan flow in either direction between directly related and connectedobjects in an instantiated network; steps that enable incrementalinteraction to be automatically recorded or synthesized in theframeworks or data structures of relevant domains and directly evaluatedfor its incremental impact on other relevant summary data and resultingrecommendations; methods and steps that enable objects in data structureto be evaluated according to predefined or user defined functions;rating performance, predicting outcomes and prescribing alternatives viainline analytics and evaluation; the step of enabling detailedinformation to be progressively collected, shared and integrated fromprivate to progressively public domains and from specialized levels tomore general or abstract levels; the step of enabling, optionallyde-identified, data to be received from other domains that can begeneralized with other data about similar interactions that can beaggregated as generalized expertise to compare performance, guideperformance, share gains; the step of allowing real objects outside thecomputer operating system that are referred to by reference objects tobe changed by the Home Subject as a result of modifying values and othercomponents of an IOO; the step of monitoring, through receiving inputdirect from real objects or sensors that measure the state or change inreal objects, changes in state of real objects; the step of archiving,over time, changes in reference objects referring to real objects; andthe step of sharing reputation with other domains without necessarilysharing private information.
 8. The computing architecture and methodaccording to claim 7, further essentially comprising the steps of:automatically using research data results of scientific experiments,pseudo-experiments, observation, surveys, partner polling, expertpolling, etc. to evaluate alternative actions based on their predictedoutcomes and relative attractiveness of recommended actions.
 9. Thecomputing architecture and method according to claim 8, furtheressentially comprising the steps of: enabling asynchronously planned andnegotiated and synchronously enacted interactions in separate domainsand locations.
 10. The computing architecture (i.e. framework andinterface) and method (i.e. function) according to claim 9, furtheressentially comprising: a distributed meta-modeling framework and methodthat enables (multi-perspective) understanding to be communicated[through complete semiotic treatment (i.e. pragmatic, semantic andsyntactic)] between all entities involved in the conception, use and/ordevelopment (evolution) of human(s) and their artifact(s).bi-directional (input and output) link(s) between related instance(s)(phenotype, in a data domain and/or parts thereof) and class(s)(archetype). (whether embedded in data about the object instance or inthe body of the instance itself) reference object in data in a domain oractual [or referent(s), word(s), symbol(s) or other reference object(s)]in (subjective) entity(s) and with the (objective) entity(s)(archetypes) that the referent(s) represent. and (subjective) entity(s)use.
 11. The computing architecture and method according to claim 9,further essentially comprising: a computational data structure,ecological model and method for supporting pragmatic collaborativeinnovation or development, particularly through experiential orexperimental use, of human artifacts, e.g. language, knowledge, tools,(business) models, products, services, etc.; the step of creatingbi-directional link(s) between referent(s), e.g. ID(s), name(s),word(s), symbol(s), brand(s), image(s), data(s), definition(s),description(s), and/or explanation(s), etc., processed, e.g. conceived,added, created, used, evolved and/or developed, etc., in real entitysubject domain(s), e.g. PD(s) of creator(s), actor(s), evaluator(s),innovator(s), user(s), developer(s), and/or beneficiary(s), etc., andother domain(s) or sub-domain(s) objects representing (an evolutionaryrecord—information on past, present and future states as well asmulti-dimensional makeup and relationships, both internal and external)of potential and actual (arche)type(s), idea(s), ideal(s), concept(s),model(s), theory(s), prototype(s), metaphor(s), analogy(s), role(s),template(s), pattern(s), process(s), and/or method(s), etc., that can bereferred to by one or more referents, depending on the use context anduser choice, to describe the same type of object. the step of usingmeta-criteria and contextual data to guide construction and allocationof meaning, merit, worth, and other significance in an actor contextbetween a domain's particular ontological and metrological attributevalues between the above different components, e.g. of an inquiry (e.g.8 questions or ?s or components of a business model) and phases ofdevelopment; the optional step of same as above for domains of lessanimate objects (e.g. archetype, products, goods, services, solutions,etc.) that also need bi-directional links to “type domains” toadequately communicate meaningfully about the object. concept or typedomains that have reference objects for all the other domains that usethe home concept and the referents used to refer to the concept; thestep of collecting counts and other statistics for usage context ofreferent, including concept referred too and other factors; the step ofsharing information and merging by concept not word or symbol;implementing a subject's changes, options, plans, actions and feedbackto impact the meaning and value of objects; and reapplying the abovesteps to additional concepts and subjects or changes where eachsubject's use of concepts and concept referents in a particular contextdirectly impacts the state and/or meaning of the concept, its popularityfor a given context, and the referents used to describe the concept invarious domains or contexts; and using this approach to coordinatecollaborative innovation in language and other types of human createdartifacts.
 12. A data structure, protocol and process for managing thedevelopment, coordination, interaction, scalability and performance of a“socioeconomic” organization that includes a plurality of independentand potentially interdependent entities, comprising of: enabling aplurality of object entities to each register as an independentindividual subject entity participant in a common network; storing andorganizing data about objects (at any levels of aggregation and/ordimension of relatedness) in a distinct structure and according to auniform and generally applicable yet individually applied structurewhere each instance of this structure is considered a distinct domainand reflects a unique individual subject's relationships; storing dataabout real objects in each distinct domain according to the state ofthese objects relative to the individual or subject the domain isabout;—requiring each individual entity involved in a network to possessat least one instance of this structure or domain that is dedicated tothis individual as a home subject of the domain; providing authorizedaccess to one or more unique individual domains through a bi-directionalcommunication interface that reflects and communicates as well asenables change and transformation of current actual and potential statesof objects related to the individual subject; providing each authorizedhome individual subject entity with exclusive control of change topotential states of home objects structured in their domain(s) throughthe interface; requiring individual home subject entity to pre-commit to(planned) changes to the domain on an opt-in or opt-out basis thatentails interaction with one or more other subject entities beforechanges or actions are (scheduled) to take place; requiring bilateralnegotiation and formation of a partnership agreement between twoindependent subject entities and their domains before interactioninvolving other objects can take place; enabling home subject entity tobe able to flexibly create and/or modify uniform metadata structuredaccording to the uniform domain structure to define, describe classify,contain and/or store domain subsets of real data objects; enablingtransformation and sharing of these metadata structures or subsets orparts of domain's uniform structure with partners; encapsulating dataabout real objects in the prescribed uniform metadata structures in ahome domain that are subsets of the whole subject domain's contentsorganized according to the same uniform structure as the whole domain;enabling one or more real data objects that represent potential actionplans initiated by one home subject entity to be evaluated, transformedand staged for communication as a proposal to specific other potentiallyinteracting objects that have their own home subject domains organizedaccording to the same uniform domain structure; enabling these specificother potentially interacting home subjects to receive and evaluatethese real structured proposals in their independent domain(s) at theirdiscretion; enabling these recipients to implicitly or explicitly agreeto the proposal and to transform and stage an affirmation of theirinterest in or agreement to participate in the initiator's proposal oraction plans for communication from their domain back to the initiator'sdomain; Enabling the initiating subject entity to implicitly orexplicitly approve the receipt of the affirmation into their homesubject domain; causing the home subject domain to receive theaffirmation; providing each authorized individual domain(s) with accessto control physical transformation of one or more unique individualobjects through a bi-directional communication interface that reflectsand/or communicates as well as enables the pro-negotiated change orother transformation to real objects, including but not limited to theexchange or trade of real options, rights, goods and services; andcausing or requiring agreed actions to automatically and/orsynchronously be enacted or implemented at the proposed and agreed timein the plurality of distinct yet then actually interacting real entitiesand objects.